Open Mike

Kniceley Assaults Coach?

2009-11-17T09:11:00.003-05:00

The "35th State" Blog and the Dominion Post are both reporting that Fairmont Police are investigating an alleged incident between Times-West Virginian editor Andy Kniceley and a Fairmont State University coach. Kniceley allegedly assaulted the coach because Kniceley's son was not getting enough playing time. According to the 35th State Blog, FSU plans to file charges against Kniceley.

Obviously, the Times-West Virginian has had no reporting of any incident. But what would you expect? The Times remains a small-time rag newspaper that reports only what they want the reader to consume. If you have the right connections and contact the right people, they will sweep a news story under the rug. Just look at the Daily Log...I know for a fact that certain people should have appeared in the Log but, due to the right words, those folks' names failed to appear. It will be interesting to see how the Times moves forward if FSU does indeed file charges.

In other news, the West Virginia Watchdog is doing great work tracking Obama's stimulus money and the jobs "created" in West Virginia districts that don't even exist. It is definitely worth the time to read the full story and find out how numbers are being skewed to justify the pork stimulus bill.

Football Predictions

2009-11-05T08:44:00.002-05:00

We'll just get right down to it, shall we:

Bridgeport 42 - North Marion 13: Well, I must say I was impressed by the fortitude the Indians showed last week when they hosted Fairmont Senior. I'm not sure the Polar Bears played their best football but it doesn't matter now. Bridgeport completes an undefeated regular season.

Alabama 19 - LSU 14: Will Alabama find an offense that can score touchdowns? Will LSU find a way to get around this Alabama defense? This should be a heckuva game in Bama country.

Ohio State 24 - Penn State 17: I have some doubts about Penn State now. Ohio State has struggled but I think Jim Tressell and Terrelle Pryor figure out a way to beat the Nittany Lions and ruin PSU's chance for a BCS bowl.

Cincinnati 35 - UConn 17: It's been a bad couple weeks for Connecticut and it's just going to get worse. At least this one won't come down to a last minute heartbreaker like the last two. Cincy is winning the Big East.

And finally,

West Fairmont 56 - East Fairmont 13: Could West Fairmont put 100 on the board this Friday at East-West? Possibly but doubtful. Coming off the disappointing loss at Bridgeport, the Polar Bears assert their dominance early and cruise to a victory over the Bees.

West Virginia 34 - Louisville 21: I don't know about this Mountaineer team. Just when I think they've turned the corner, they look inept against South Florida. The only salvation is that Louisville is just plain horrible. The real test is the 3 games following this game at Mountaineer Field.

A Weekend of Football

2009-10-29T09:00:00.003-04:00

Oh, some exciting football this weekend. Including the dreaded Friday night WVU game. I really hate Friday night Mountaineer games because of the interference with high school football. I really wanted to go to the Bridgeport / Fairmont Sr. matchup Friday but guess I will skip it to watch WVU hopefully beat South Florida. So without further hesitation, some good matchups this weekend:

Fairmont Senior 35 - Bridgeport 24: I like the Polar Bears. They've played a rather challenging schedule that includes Morgantown and University. Bridgeport. Well, Bridgeport sits #4 in the state but might be propped up a bit by an easy schedule. It's worth nothing that South Charleston with one loss is actually ahead of the Indians because of the Indians weak schedule. I like Fairmont.

North Marion 13 - Elkins 6: North Marion grabs their 4th and final win of the season at Elkins on Friday (they play Bridgeport next week.) Finishing 4-6 sounds a lot better than their 1-9 record last season. Elkins has a lot of work to do before next year.

University 28 - Morgantown 24: Morgantown really needs this win to secure their spot in the playoffs. University really wants homefield for the first playoff round again this season. The Mohawk Bowl will be an exciting one with University squeaking out a victory. Morgantown will be the final team to make the 2009 playoffs.

USC 35 - Oregon 20: The Ducks have come a long way since losing to Boise State and the "punch heard 'round the world." But USC is still USC and they win the big ones. They might lose to Washington but they don't lose to top opponents. Add to this the fact that the Trojans are feeling a little disrespected by the polls and you have a USC victory.

Oklahoma State 20 - Texas 17: Oh, it's the big upset. Okie State without Dez Bryant and being looked down on plays the role of spoiler against Colt McCoy and the Longhorns. Mike Gundy finds a way to win this one for two reasons: 1) He's a man. 2) He's 40.

And, lastly,

West Virginia 42 - South Florida 24: I don't know that South Florida is really all that good this year. They had the benefit of a weak schedule to inflate their standing and now that standing is being exposed. Florida State isn't very good and that's their big win. WVU still has a great shot at the Big East crown and this game isn't going to stop them. Of course, it is South Florida on a Friday night so anything could happen but I like WVU. But I can promise you this: If WVU turns the ball over 5 times, they'll lose. Ball protection is key to this game.

And there you have it. Feel free to wager all you want...these are locks.

Football Picks

2009-10-22T09:36:00.002-04:00

Another weekend quickly approaches which means it's time to discuss the winners and losers in this week's game of skill and luck known as football.

Fairmont Sr. 35 - Wheeling Park 17: This is a down year for Wheeling Park. Currently at 1-7 and on a 7 game losing streak, the Patriots won't get any relief this weekend. Since Park has such a dismal schedule, the win wont' necessarily help the Polar Bears in the polls but it will still be a victory. The big game is next week when Fairmont visits Bridgeport.

North Marion 24 - Nicholas County 21: An upset? Yep. I said before that once North Marion learned to win, they could easily win 3 in a row. And they did against Buckhannon, Preston and East. Playing Morgantown was tough but the Huskies can bounce back this week. The Grizzlies are shooting for the playoffs but North pulls off the upset and will finish the year 5-5.

Morgantown 38 - John Marshall 21: Morgantown beats bad teams and loses to good teams. Luckily for the Mohigans, John Marshall isn't very good this year. The Mohigans roll as they try to make the 16 team field for the state playoffs.

Penn State 17 - Michigan 14: Close game but as long as JoePa survives, Penn State will win. The Penn State defense clamps down on a "healthy" Tate Forcier and grinds out a victory in the Big House.

Alabama 32 - Tennessee 18: Lane Kiffin someday might be a great coach. Right now, he's just got a big mouth. Alabama's offense actually finds some rhythm and Saban and crew easily handle the Volunteers.

And then there's these two games:

East Fairmont 20 - Buckhannon-Upshur 16: It's going to be a rainy night in Buckhannon tomorrow and the raindrops will mix with the Buckaneers tears as the Bees find a way to win in a close one. I predicted 3-7 for the Bees and they need to win this game to make my prediction come true.

WVU 38 - UConn 24: This really could go either way. If WVU has cured their turnover problems, they can easily handle the Huskies. If WVU turns the ball over a few times, it could go the other way fast. Expect an inspired UConn team following the death of Jasper Howard. If WVU opens the door, UConn walks away with a win. Another rainy game...

Vikings 31 - Pittsburgh 17: I hate to predict a Brett Favre victory but Pittsburgh has really not shown me much that makes me believe they can win this game. Adrian Peterson is scorching defenses and the Vikings defense is good. The fact this game is in Pittsburgh could make a difference but I'd put my money on Minnesota.

It's the Football, Stupid

2009-10-15T08:54:00.002-04:00

Get your bets ready...here's the winners (and losers) this week:

Fairmont Senior 45 - Elkins 17: FSHS wins big and still drops to #2 in the state? Sometimes there's no justice. But that's a number. One or two doesn't matter...finishing in the Top 2 will give them homefield throughout the playoffs. The Polar Bears destroy an undermanned Elkins squad.

Morgantown 24 - Brooke 20: Big upset. Brooke is the #1 team in the state and safely in the playoffs while Morgantown is fighting to stay in the playoff hunt. This would be a huge win for Morgantown on the road if they can actually pull it off.

Cincinnati 28 - South Florida 21: Big East matchup between the two undefeated teams on Thursday night. Good game. Cincinnati has too much fire power for South Florida but you have to admit that USF's determination since the loss of Grothe has been impressive. The Bearcats win as they defend their Big East crown.

Oklahoma 35 - Texas 24: There's a rumor out that Colt McCoy might be injured. Mack Brown says there's no truth to it. Either way, Oklahoma pulls a huge upset and rights their ship. Bob Stoops wins the big, non-bowl games and this is no different. Oklahoma comes in with a chip on their shoulder and finds a way to stop the Longhorns' offense and wins this game.

USC 42 - Notre Dame 17: The demise of the Trojans has been greatly exaggerated. This is still one of the best defenses in the country and look for Matt Barkley to find his rhythm against the "lucky" Irish. Notre Dame has just been squeaking by opponents to create buzz for this matchup. The buzz dies quickly in South Bend this weekend.

And three games that I actually care about:

Steelers 24 - Browns 9: I don't know if Pittsburgh has righted the ship or not but it doesn't matter against the Browns. Cleveland is bad. Real bad. If Pittsburgh even shows up for the game, they win. That's how bad Cleveland is.

East Fairmont 14 - Preston 6: Can East Fairmont score 2 touchdowns? Maybe. They actually performed decently against RCB last week. If they can bring some of that momentum into this game, they should squeak by the Knights. Rain and snow are in the forecast so expect a low scoring affair.

WVU 52 - Marshall 24: West Virginia outmans the Thundering Herd just about everywhere. The attempts to build up this game as some great rivalry will be squashed early and often in this game. Noel Devine runs up a good 200+ yards and WVU doesn't turn the ball over and squishes Marshall in their preparation for the Big East schedule.

"You Don't Pay Taxes!"

2009-10-14T14:46:00.005-04:00

When Mayor Matt Delligatti said the road levy should not fall behind other levies the voters will be considering this year, Debbie Seifrit shot back with "You don't pay taxes". Delligatti does not pay property taxes because he lives with his parents except when he is staying in Morgantown. And Seifrit is right. It is easy for someone who doesn't pay taxes to say "let's pass a levy."

When do you think the last time was that Jay Rockefeller personally wrote out a check to the IRS? Ever? What about Bob Byrd? Harry Reid? Alan Mollohan? These people are isolated from everyday life. It's easy to pass tax increases on the rich and poor as long as you're not footing the bill. It's easy to say "give health care of everyone" when you pass those costs along to the "rich" and "big business."

I digress...I'll write more on that at a later date. Back to the Fairmont levy argument. The Fairmont City Council passed a resolution to place a road repaving/repairing levy on the May 2010 ballot. The Marion County Library and Marion-Fairmont Transit Authority will also have levies on the 2010 ballot and it's possile the Marion County Board of Education may attempt another bond measure in the near future.

"Under a draft proposal generated by city staff, a property owner whose property is assessed at $100,000 could pay an additional $75 a year. Homeowners who qualify under the homestead act — senior citizens and disabled people — could pay $50 more in taxes on a home assessed at $100,000. Commercial property owners would pay $150 more in taxes for property assessed at $100,000." - Times-West Virginian

With water prices soaring in the city and the increasing economic pressure, will the citizens of Fairmont be willing to stomach yet another levy? Will seeing 3 or 4 levies on the same ballot turn off voters who will reject all of them? And why is this levy necessary? The citizens of Fairmont, Marion County and West Virginia are already being taxed to death for education, roads, health care, unemployment, government officials and other items of which we may or may not benefit. And with the specter of universal health care taxing looming, who can blame citizens for being wary of another tax?

Debbie Seifrit, I applaud you for standing up for the taxpayers and raising a concern about yet another property tax on the citizens of Fairmont. More people need to stand up for the American taxpayer and show the ways that taxes are creating the dispair in this country. Robbing from everyday citizens is not creating a utopian society. Quite the opposite.

The Coal Hypocrisy

2009-10-13T10:07:00.002-04:00

I was struck today by an article I read in which Senator Jay Rockefeller and Representative Nick Rahall called upon Massey Energy to help move Marsh Fork Elementary School away from a coal processing plant. The article struck of such hypocrisy from the Senator and Representative that I had to laugh.

It amazes me that politicians from this state call upon the coal industry, or energy industry in general, to perform charitable deeds while attempting to put these industries out of business. They are essentially robbing these companies with one hand while begging for a donation with the other. With cap-and-trade and additional EPA penalties threatening all the coal industries in West Virginia, how can anyone expect them to make large contributions to charity? These companies are fighting for survival. The taxes on the energy industry is outrageous and new proposed taxes are being introduced everyday.

Massey Energy has a long history of charitable work. In May 2008, Massey donated more than $1 million to create a scholarship fund for college and post-graduate scholarships to help students from Central Appalachia communities pursue engineering and health care degrees. Massey Energy has donated a total of $80,000 to the struggling town of Cedar Grove. The town will use $75,000 to finish building a new park in the center of town, and the remaining $5,000 for athletic activities for middle school children and field trips for the grade school children.

That's only two examples of the charity work that Massey has done. There are several additional examples of the work Massey has done with charities. The same can be said with the other energy companies in the state. And yet the government continually attempts to punish these companies and undermine their ability to do charity work. How can a company that can't turn a profit continue to fund charitable events? It's not possible.

Oh, and for the record, the Senator and Representative were incorrect in their misrepresentation of Massey's position on a new Marsh Fork Elementary. Massey is willing to work with the Raleigh County BOE. The BOE hasn't decided to if they are pursuing a new Marsh Fork yet and will meet tonight to decide.

The Nobel Peace Fraud

2009-10-09T08:37:00.002-04:00

The Nobel Peace Prize has long come under attack for some recipients who may not necessarily deserve the award, such as Yasser Arafat, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and, obviously, Mother Teresa. But the awarding of the prize to Barack Obama is a curious choice. The President has been in office less than a year and has no single significant achievement towards peace.

Sure, the President campaigned on the promise to open dialog and has promised an end to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has promised deals to decrease nuclear arms. He has also promised to turn around the economy, give everyone health care and to personally massage my feet. None of this has come to fruition yet. And yet the Nobel Peace Prize Committee felt it necessary to award their Prize on the bluster of a man who has no accomplishments.

While talking of peace, Obama has had internal discussions of increasing the war on Afghanistan, which may include incursions into Pakistan. While promising direct dialog with Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the administration is looking at options to strategically bomb locations in Iran.

No, this award isn't truly about peace. The left-leaning organization awarded this President the Nobel Peace Prize because he isn't George W. Bush and because he has been on a USA apology tour. The hope is that by awarding Obama for denigrating the United States, he will be encouraged to continue the practice. By making the US weaker, Obama is receiving the support of the world. At the end of the day, that Prize and million dollars is little consolation to the weakening position of this country in the world.

Amazing Football Predictions

2009-10-08T11:03:00.002-04:00

Missed last week but I will not miss two weeks in a row. So, without further hesitation, here is some football predictions for this week:

Fairmont Senior 42 - Buckhannon - 13: Fairmont Senior has the opportunity to be the #1 seed in the state high school playoffs. I don't anticipate Buckhannon being able to trip up the Polar Bears this week. Good teams win the ones they are supposed to win and FSHS rolls at home on their way to an NCAC crown.

Morgantown 34 - North Marion 13: The Huskies have a few good wins this season but they are not ready to deal with a team like Morgantown. The Mohigans are fighting to get into the playoffs this year and they should take care of business at home this week.

Florida 24 - LSU 20: With Tebow or without Tebow, Florida finds a way to win. John Brantley is at Florida for a reason: He's a good quarterback. And Florida can win regardless of who leads the charge. LSU is somewhat overrated, especially considering their lack of offensive production. They got lucky last week. Not so lucky this week.

Steelers 24 - Lions 9: Pittsburgh has some issues but not nearly as many as Detroit. Whether Polamolu returns this week or not, Pittsburgh easily handles the Lions.

Robert C. Byrd 38 - East Fairmont 6: The loss to North Marion pretty much ended any dreams of a playoff berth for East. And this Thursday night game just screams blowout. RCB lost to cross-county rival Bridgeport last week and will be looking to roll up some big numbers at East-West Stadium to help their playoff hopes. RCB wins big.

West Virginia 45 - Syracuse 17: Shouldn't be much of a game. Especially if Syracuse commits seven turnovers this week. However, West Virginia could match them if they're not careful. WVU has to fix the turnover issue this week and next before they start facing teams that can beat them. USF, Cincy, Rutgers and Pitt remain the big tests for WVU. Marshall and Syracuse are the easy ones.

A Quick Look at the NFL (Pt. 2)(

2009-10-07T14:58:00.002-04:00

With four games down, you can get a pretty good idea where this NFL season is going for most of the teams in the league. So, here's a quick rundown of teams in the AFC and where I see them going.

American Football Conference

New York Jets (3-1): Dirty Sanchez is playing like a franchise quarterback and the Jets may challenge the Patriots for AFC East supremacy. Unfortunately for the Jets, if it's a close race, their last 2 games are against the Colts and Bengals.

New England Patriot (3-1): Looking at New England's schedule, it would be shocking if they don't get 11 wins. The Jets, Colts and Broncos are their biggest challenges. The showdown is November 22 against the Jets.

Miami Dolphins (1-3): Not what everyone expected this year. Pennington is hurt and Pat White hasn't brought much to the team. White may be obsolete with the recent arrival of Thigpen. Bottom feeding in the AFC again.

Buffalo Bills (1-3): Dick Jauron will likely lose his job after this season. The Bills 1-point loss to the Patriots looks like an abomination as they had to another losing season.

Baltimore Ravens (3-1): The Ravens may turn out to be the best team in the AFC this year. A great defense and a developing offense that looks better every game. Should win the AFC North barring injuries.

Cincinnati (3-1): How can you tell? It's a team that could beat Baltimore for the AFC North crown or could collapse and lose the next 12 games. They already have a huge win over Pittsburgh. A second date on November 15th could determine the final team in the playoffs from the AFC.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): A Super Bowl hangover? Maybe. The loss of Troy Polamolu hurt the defense and the Steelers running game is non-existent. In the competitive AFC, 11 wins might not even make the playoffs. And 11 wins will not win the AFC North. An ultra-difficult schedule will make it a hard season for Pittsburgh to make a run at a repeat.

Cleveland Browns (0-4): Will Eric Magini make it to Year 2? Will Cleveland win a game? Those are the main questions out of the Browns.

Indianapolis Colts (4-0): Payton Manning doing what he does best: win. This team plays New England on November 15th followed by Baltimore on November 22nd. Come out with 2 wins and they control the AFC.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2): Nothing spectacular here...

Houston Texans (2-2): See Jacksonville. A good team but you have to be a great team to compete in the AFC.

Tennessee Titans (0-4): Will Jeff Fisher pack it in after this year? Will this team play Vince Young this year? Titans are underachieving after last year's run.

Denver Broncos (4-0): No one would have guessed the Broncos would still be undefeated but here they are controlling the AFC West. Unfortunately, they'll stumble and end up losing the AFC West to:

San Diego Charges (2-2): A disappointing start but they get a chance to jump right back into the race on October 19th when they host Denver for Monday Night Football.

Oakland Raiders (1-3): JaMarcus Russell is not a long term solution for their quarterback problems. Get a new quarterback in there now and tell your coach to stop punching people.

Kansas City Chiefs (0-4): Is it 2011 yet?

A Quick Look at the NFL

2009-10-05T10:20:00.002-04:00

With four games down, you can get a pretty good idea where this NFL season is going for most of the teams in the league. So, here's a quick rundown of teams in the NFC and where I see them going. I'll get to the AFC tomorrow.

National Football Conference

NY Giants (4-0): Look to be on track for another good playoff run. Eli does what he needs to do to win football games. Some tough games down the stretch but they win the NFC East.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): Quarterback controversy before the end of the season. As Michael Vick improves, watch for Eagles' fans to demand him become the starter. All the ingredients for an implosion before the end of the year that will cost Andy Reid his job. No playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys (2-2): Tony Romo is feeling the pressure and not stepping up. The Denver game was a microcosm of the Cowboys problems. Plenty of opportunities but not enough execution. No playoffs.

Washington Redskins (2-2): A team with a bloated budget but little to show for it. Might sneak into the playoffs but they haven't proved anything yet.

Minnesota Vikings (3-0): I hate to say it, but the Vikings could be the best team in the NFC. Favre isn't making mistakes and they have a good defense and solid offensive line. Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the NFL. If Favre can refrain from throwing to the wrong team, should be a good year. Tonight's game vs. Green Bay will tell a lot about where this team is going.

Chicago Bears (3-1): Will be battling with Minnesota for supremacy in the NFC North. Should make the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers (2-1): A good team that will be left out because they have to deal with Chicago and Minnesota. But a solid showing despite missing the playoffs.

Detroit Lions (1-3): They have their win. Good for them!

New Orleans Saints (4-0): Drew Brees is a great quarterback. And they have the advantage of being in a division with Carolina and Tampa Bay. They easily win the NFC South.

Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Solid but not great. Matt Ryan is a good quarterback. Unfortunately for Altanta, their schedule doesn't give them much of a chance.

Carolina Panthers (0-3): Battling with Tampa Bay for the worst team in the NFC South. Their first pillow fight is on October 18th.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4): See Carolina.

San Francisco 49ers (3-1): Will surprisingly win the NFC West. It's amazing what Mike Singletary has accomplished. They don't even need Michael Crabtree.

Arizona Cardinals (1-2): A very disappointing season after making it to the Super Bowl last year. Too much drama on this team to win.

Seattle Seahawks (1-3): When your quarterback is Seneca Wallace, things can't be going too well. No playoffs in Seattle.

St. Louis Rams (0-4): This is the team that has the best chance to go 0-16 this year. Bulger probably needs to pack it in and, chances are, he has. The Rams will probably stick with Boller, who really isn't much better. Too many problems to be successful.

Football

2009-10-03T09:15:00.002-04:00

I forgot, or neglected, to make predictions this week. But it's already been interesting with West Virginia's attempt to literally fumble a game to Colorado, Fairmont Senior's double-overtime victory over NCAC foe University and East Fairmont's last minute loss at North Marion.

First up, West Virginia and the serious case of fumble-itis that has struck the team. Ten, count them, 10 turnovers in the last 2 games. Nothing alters the course of a game faster than turnovers. It cost West Virginia the game at Auburn and nearly cost them the game versus Colorado. If Colorado had a field goal kicker and took an early lead, it could have changed the playcalling and seriously affected the rest of the game. Luckily for WVU, they never fell behind and overcame serious problems with the ball.

If they do not remedy the turnover issue soon, it will cost them more games this year. Syracuse sounds like an easy game but with Paulus as QB, they have a shot at beating the Mountaineers. He won't panic in a "big game" because of this experience at Duke and, if WVU's offense gives them enough opportunities, the Orange will score. Bill Stewart must find a way to make Brown protect the ball and the other WVU players need to secure the football. WVU got lucky with Colorado...the talent WVU had far surpassed the Buffalos. The same can't be said when they play Cincinnati, USF, Pitt or Rutgers.

East Fairmont's early season woes have gotten worse. Between injuries and general lack of confidence, the Bees find themselves in a 5-game losing streak. It doesn't look promising to break that streak this week when RCB comes to town for a Thursday night Homecoming game. East Fairmont's offense did generate nearly 200 yards in offense but the Bees struggled with 3 interceptions and couldn't move the ball consistently against the Huskies. East Fairmont's lone score came on an interception return for a touchdown. On the flipside, I predicted that North Marion had confidence and knew how to win since their first victory and now they are on a 3-game winning streak. Probably not playoff ready but a team on the rebound. If they really want to prove North Marion is back, they have their opportunity next week when they visit Morgantown.

And, lastly, the team I predicted to win the NCAC is now in the driver's seat following their double-overtime victory over previously unbeaten University. Fairmont Senior made a huge defensive stop to beat the #4 Hawks and will remain the No. 1 team in WV High School football this week. The Polar Bears toughest tests have been passed with wins against RCB, Morgantown and University. The schedule is favorable for Fairmont to win out. Wheeling Park is down this year so the biggest test remains the Oct. 23 showdown against Bridgeport. Fairmont Senior has a good shot at ending the season as the #1 team in the state barring a mental lapse.

Chicago LOSES Olympics

2009-10-02T14:48:00.002-04:00

Being the prohibitive favorite and having the President of the United States actually present wasn't enough to win the 2016 Summer Olympics for Chicago. It wasn't even enough to get them out of the first round. What does this say?

Well, first, the United States Olympics Committee obviously has some issues. They've made some people mad and those people have gotten even by eliminating the United States' best Olympic package ever. USOC has had some run-ins with the International Olympic Committee and, obviously, the IOC has gotten even.

Second, President Obama has to be embarrassed by this turn of events. To send Michelle out for most of the week and appear in person and still lose has to sting. Most people, including myself, didn't believe he would attend in person unless he knew it was in the bag. US President's don't like uncertainty...someone on his staff was obviously incorrect.

And, lastly, there's still a lot of resentment towards the United States out there. The "Era of Good Feelings" that Obama has supposedly brought with him wasn't enough to bring the Olympics here in 2016.

It will be interesting to see how Obama responds to this turn of events. In the midst of lowering approval ratings, higher unemployment, economic downturn, health care uncertainty and Afghanistan confusion, Obama desparately needed a victory somewhere. That's why he went to Copenhagen. He needs a win. Instead, he gets to come home without the Olympics and try to piece together a health care bill that it has become increasing obvious that no one wants. I guess it could be worse...he could be David Letterman.

Gambling Lines for This Week

2009-09-24T08:32:00.002-04:00

I went 5-2 last week thanks to a disappointing showing by both Pittsburgh and West Virginia. I knew better than to pick WVU but Pittsburgh? Come on.

Anyway, without further adieu, I give you this week's winner...and losers:

North Marion 17 - Preston 13: Once a team learns how to win, it's impossible to stop them. Of course, it helps if they're playing Preston. North Marion follows their win over Buckhannon with a win over Preston in Kingwood. A winning streak for the Huskies!

Morgantown 38 - Buckhannon 6: I'm not sure Buckhannon has an offense. And Morgantown proved last week that they do, indeed, have a defense. I'm still in shock over East Fairmont's NEGATIVE 11 yards in total offense last week. Morgantown rolls.

University 45 - Hedgesville 17: I don't know much about Hedgesville but I know University is good. Real good. They continue to win this week.

Florida State 31 - South Florida 17: Grothe is out of the season and the Bulls will falter without him. Florida State showed they can score with their blowout win over BYU. South Florida's quick defense keeps this close but there's no real chance for South Florida to win this game.

Miami 38 - Virginia Tech 35: Virginia Tech got LUCKY last week. Bo Pelini needs to re-evaluate his defense. But not so lucky this week. Randy Shannon has turned the corner in the Miami program and they play with "swagger." So, Miami goes up to Blacksburg and steals one.

And, the two games that are my big picks since WVU is off until Thursday:

Steelers 24 - Cincinnati 13: Still the Bungles. I don't care if they did make the playoffs a couple years ago. Pittsburgh needs the victory to get the bad taste of the Chicago defeat outta their mouths. Jeff Reed...make a field goal dude. Seriously.

Bridgeport 42 - East Fairmont 7: Well, at least they break their scoreless drought. Two games in a row without a point sounds pretty bad. East scores but Bridgeport wins easily.

Windows 7

2009-09-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

I started last week setting up the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and trying to get everything up and running for successful deployments. I just completed my first successful deployment of Windows 7 that includes all of our applications, settings and joins the domain and is ready for a user to sit down and use. And I must admit I'm pretty excited about that fact. When we had our consultants here last year setting up Vista, it took them 3 months to accomplish a task that took me 1 week. I'm not saying I'm smarter, probably just not as thorough.

Anyway, Windows 7 holds a lot of promise for us. The 2-3 test machines we gave to use with Windows 7 Beta have received positive reviews. We are probably 2-3 weeks away from getting a test group together to begin testing the OS. The speed is the #1 reason we are anxiously awaiting moving away from Vista. But until we have actual everyday users beating on the OS and apps, I can't say we're 100% moving towards an immediate implementation.

My goal is to begin running a dual environment by next year. New machines will come with Windows 7 while we continue to support our Vista environment. But I am happy to be moving away from Vista with breakneck speed. Unless we hit a major snag, Windows Vista will be completely eliminated in our user environment by 2011. What a horrible experiment our Windows Vista time has been. Welcome Windows 7!

Weekend Roundup

2009-09-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few observations from the weekend:

You can't expect to win very many games when you turn the ball over 6 times.
What was Jarrett Brown thinking when he threw it into a crowd of people at the line of scrimmage? Twice?
How do you go an entire game and gain NEGATIVE 11 yards? I knew Morgantown would win but I never thought East would go backwards. Not even a first down by penalty. Wow.
I was very close to making the 11-hour trek to Auburn. How happy am I considering the loss and rain?
RCB beat Liberty 76-0. Congratulations?
Why does Mickey Andrews (Florida State) always look like he's trying to eat his own face?
It is never acceptable for an announcer to not know what down it is, how many yards the team needs for a first down or how many yards were just gained on the play.
Announcers should not try to use "hip" phrases. Watching the Nebraska/Virginia Tech game, they tried to say someone was a "balla" except it came out "he is a baller." And they used the word "baller" five times. No, you're not cool. Announce the game.
Monte Kiffin is a defensive genius. Monte Kiffin is a defensive genius. Monte Kiffin is a defensive genius. OKAY...I get it: Monte Kiffin is a defensive genius.
Beamerball, Beamerball, Beamerball, Beamerball. That's not Beamerball. That is Beamerball. It's called Special Teams. Move on.
Oregon. Being different is cool. But being ugly is still just being ugly. Green, gray and white. Mr. Blackwell is turning in his grave.
Quit cross-selling other sports. College football analysts should not be talking about NASCAR since it absolutely obvious they have no idea of what they are talking. Stop it.
Notre Dame is NOT an elite team. Notre Dame is NOT a BCS bowl deserving team. They have the benefit of not playing in a conference. They would be at the bottom of the SEC or Big 12 South. And middle of the road everywhere else. Just because they get to play (and maybe beat) Nevada, Purdue, Washington, Washington State, Navy, Stanford and UConn doesn't give them a claim to a major bowl game. Play some real teams on the road. The Irish play 8 home games. Notre Dame deserves the same consideration that BYU, Utah, Boise State and TCU get. And maybe less because those teams are willing to go on the road and play real opponents. Other than USC and Michigan, the "Fighting" Irish won't play a ranked team unless Pittsburgh somehow moves into the Top 25. Pitiful and disgraceful that Notre Dame gets the reverence they don't deserve.
Tim Tebow is amazing. I don't care what anyone says. The guy is just simply amazing.
What is it about USC and horrible teams? Why can USC go to the Horseshoe and beat Ohio State but they can't beat Washington? It makes no sense. Pete Carroll?
Virginia Tech got lucky. Bo Pelini needs to be looking at his defensive coordinator and asking some serious questions.
BYU beating Oklahoma was a bit of a fluke really. I guess Florida State proved that...in a big way.
How much do you think Louisville fans would pay to get Bobby Petrino back? Louisville fell into the black hole when Bobby left. Professor Krang can't do anything.
Syracuse wins! Syracuse wins! How bad do the Northwestern fans feel?

That's just a few random observations from the weekend that I can remember. I had a few more but Jarrett Brown gave them to Auburn.

Get Out Your Wallets...

2009-09-17T09:47:00.002-04:00

You can't beat these predictions:

Fairmont Senior 117 - Preston 4: I kid, I kid. But I do believe the Polar Bears could score 100 on Preston if they really tried. More likely it will be 42 - 13. West is playing good football and if they can put together a strong 4 quarters, Preston will be begging to hop on the bus and get back to Kingwood. Of course, Fairmont is coming off an emotional win over Morgantown so this could be a letdown and close. But Fairmont Senior still rolls.

North Marion 23 - Buck-Up 21: Yes, North Marion wins. They showed life against RCB last week and they get a victory this week. And North Marion could turn the corner and put together a few victories...especially with Preston and...ummm, East on the schedule.

University 35 - Elkins 6: Elkins beat Preston but they have no shot against University. The Hawks and the Polar Bears are on a collison course for superiority in the NCAC this year.

Virginia Tech 27 - Nebraska 24: This game is at Lane Stadium which is why Virginia Tech wins. The Hokies are a good team and Nebraska still is out in the woods somewhere. Virginia Tech should win...but it's gonna be close.

Steelers 24 - Bears 21: Without Polamalu, this game becomes scary. Pittsburgh needs to find a running game and an offensive line that can at least protect Big Ben on half the plays. If Roethlisberger goes down, it could be an ugly season. Charlie Batch, anyone?

And now, the big picks:

Morgantown 31 - East Fairmont 3: Morgantown is seeking some revenge for last week's loss to Fairmont Senior. And the Mohigans have struggled. But no one has struggled more than the East Fairmont offense. Maybe East sneaks into Pony Lewis Field and shocks the Mohigans...but I just don't see any way that is possible.

West Virginia 24 - Auburn 23: I just can't bet against WVU and Jarrett Brown. WVU will try to lose but somehow Brown will lead them to victory. If they can win this game, the WVU season begins to look very bright.

Football Roundup

2009-09-15T10:22:00.002-04:00

Well, finished last week 6-1 on my predictions. ELKINS WINS, ELKINS WINS. What a disappointment for Preston. I thougth they were going to be decent. Maybe not. And, just like I said, RCB/North Marion was close. North had the victory in sight...only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Most impressive? West Fairmont over Morgantown. I went to the game and arrived early in the 2nd quarter. Morgantown was already winning 14-0 and West couldn't do anything. I don't know what happened at halftime but the Polar Bears came out fired up and put up 31 unanswered points. Sets up an epic Fairmont Sr. / University matchup for the NCAC. At least that's they way I see it right now.

Happiest moment? Michigan beats Notre Dame. I don't care about the Rich Rodriguez thing. I wanted Notre Dame to lose and it happened. Michigan isn't going to go undefeated this year. Notre Dame has enough cupcakes on the schedule to win 9 games. But what a great loss this was. I just hope Lou Holtz cried at the end of the game.

West Virginia did their best to lose to East Carolina but Jarrett Brown just wouldn't let it happen. How many punts can you fumble? If WVU thinks they're going to drive into Auburn and just beat the Tigers because they have a first-year coach, they better think again. Auburn is improved and playing well.

Should be interesting...we'll see how it goes.

What Happened To...

2009-09-12T09:05:00.002-04:00

If you know me, you know I love music. All day, everyday, that's what I do at work. I pick an artist or two, or perhaps a collection, and I listen. Non-stop music. And for the past 3 weeks, it has been nothing but non-stop Beatles. I think I'll move on next week...maybe.

Anyway, I was trying to think of some of the groups that were "popular" or that I liked in the 90s and what happened to them. Some of these groups I liked...some, well, not so much. But here we go:

Nirvana. Nevermind came out in 1991 and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became a big hit the fall of that year. Kurt Cobain took his life on April 8, 1994 ending the band. Courtney Love and the members of the band fought as both tried to gain control of the Nirvana legacy. Now you can find Cobain on Guitar Hero 5. I'm not sure that's what he would have wanted but Love needs money. Anyway, the death of Cobain led Grohl to make:
Foo Fighters. This is one of my favorite groups then and now. I think the Foo Fighters ability to make great songs that cross-over to "pop" hits is unbelievable. They never lose their rock edge but can make radio-friendly songs. Foo Fighters was released in 1995 and is good but The Colour and Shape, released in 1997, remains one of my favorites albums. To everyone's benefit, the Foo Fighters are still out there making music.
Celine Dion. Yeah, I know...this is about bands, or people, who were successful in the 90s. Not necessarily my favorites. Dion burst on the scene with "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" in 1990 and wailed out "My Heart Will Go On" in 1998. After a break from music, Dion peformed in Las Vegas from 2003-2007 and raked in over $400 million. She's back in the studio and producing music again. Yay?
Whitney Houston. Whitney took the success she found in the '80s and kept it going in the 90s. 4 Number 1 hits been 1990 and 1995, including the unavoidable "I Will Always Love You" from the Bodyguard. It was unavoidable. Believe me, I tried to avoid it. After a marriage to Bobby Brown and a spiral into drug addiction, it looks like Houston is ready for a comeback. She just released a new album on August 31. We'll see...
Pearl Jam. Just like Nirvana, Pearl Jam showed up in 1991 with the release of Ten. "Alive," "Even Flow," "Jeremy," etc., you can listen to those songs today and they sound just as good as they did nearly 20 years ago. The group continues to rock and release new works today. And tour. One of the hardest working acts out there.
Oasis. (What's the Story) Morning Glory came out in 1995 and sounded a whole lot like The Beatles. "Wonderwall," "Champagne Supernova," "Don't Look Back in Anger," were all great songs and they quickly gained a foothold in the states. And they they kinda disappeared. They were still making music but you never knew if the Gallagher Brothers were still together in a band or not. I didn't pay much attention until Dig Your Soul was released this year. And then, shortly thereafter, Noel quit. The band is still together but there's too much wierdness there to start getting into them. But, they still released some awesome music.

Well, that's 6 groups/people. That's enough for today. I will pick up and continue at another time.

People of Walmart

2009-09-11T22:15:00.002-04:00

If you haven't seen it yet, you definitely need to go visit peopleofwalmart.com. I had recent read an article about it online but forgot to check it out. Thankfully, someone reminded me today about it and I visited the site and had a good laugh.

The scary thing is that nothing on the site is actually shocking. Walking into the Wal-Mart in Fairmont or Clarksburg, I could easily see 90% of the people in these pictures. Wal-Mart brings out such a wide cross-section of society that you see a little bit of everything. And it is the most frustrating place in the world. I go out of my way to avoid going there but considering it is the mecca of everything, it is almost too convenient (and cheap) not to go occassionally. And I always leave vowing never to return.

Anyway, check out the site and enjoy the pictures. I spent a good hour or so going through everyone. And was glad I did.

Place Your Bets...if you're brave

2009-09-10T19:56:00.003-04:00

Time for some predictions for this weekend in football action. Some good games...some not so good games; I just picked out the ones that intrigued me and here's some winners (and losers):

Fairmont Senior 27 - Morgantown 20. Maybe it's an upset. Maybe not. If Fairmont Senior is going to challenge for another NCAC crown, this is the year. The Polar Bears are scoring at will and Morgantown hasn't been nearly as productive. I like Fairmont in this one.
Robert C. Byrd 21 - North Marion 18. It's another long year for the Huskies. I wish I had better news for the folks in Rachel but I just don't see them beating RCB but they could keep it close. RCB is a perennial underachiever.
Preston 24 - Elkins 6. Poor Elkins. Circle October 30. That is when Elkins hosts North Marion. That could be a game for the ages...
Michigan 28 - Notre Dame 24. A big upset? Not really. Notre Dame, despite what Lou Holtz thinks, has not turned the corner. Sure, they shutout Nevada but they're playing at the Big House and I really think Rich Rod has found a QB. Huge win towards turning the Wolverines program.
USC 42 - Ohio State 28. Freshman quarterback? No problem. At the Horseshoe? No problem. USC is a better team than Ohio State and Matt Barkley is a better quarterback than Terrelle Pryor. The Trojans roll over the Buckeyes.

And the two games that really matter:

Nicholas County 30 - East Fairmont 20. I hate picking against my team but East Fairmont struggled against University. And by struggling, I mean was completely inept. Perhaps they find a way to turn it around this week and put some points on the board. I don't know much about the Grizzlies other than their victory over Buckhannon last week but Nicholas County has slowly been building over the past few years. The Bees may struggle on the road...
WVU 27 - East Carolina 24. Scary game. Skip Holtz has been building a program while Bill Stewart has been napping. West Virginia has to find a way to put the ball in the endzone and not settle for field goals. Kick coverage and containment of Pinkney will decide this game. I nearly picked ECU for the upset but I just couldn't make myself do it...but I won't be surprised if it happens. West Virginia wins thanks to the home field advantage.

And that's it for the weekend of September 11th. Happy Patriots Day and best of luck on your betting. If you win, split it with me. If you lose, hey, you shouldn't gamble.

Weekend Wrapup

2009-09-08T10:04:00.004-04:00

I went 5-2 on the predictions this week but was pretty far off on some scores. Miami beating Florida State is a real shocker to me. I think Bobby Bowden sufferred a bit of a Bill Stewart moment down the stretch, failing to call a timeout and letting the clock run down to 19 seconds before Miami called a timeout. Had FSU acted quicker on a timeout, they possibly could have gotten 4 plays instead of 3. The other one I missed was the emotional victory Bridgeport gained over Wheeling Park.

Oklahoma losing Sam Bradford for a few weeks and then losing to BYU has to be the biggest shocker of Week One. As much as I dislike OU, I hate to see them lose Bradford and lose the game that way. But BYU won and OU is going to have to run the table to have a shot at winning a national championship.

Another shock was how easily Cincinnati dismantled Rutgers. I really thought Schiano would have the Scarlet Knights ready to play from the outset this year. Instead, it looks like another slow start in New Jersey. If Pike continues to play that well, Cincy has to be the favorite to repeat as Big East champ.

Some other observations:

I was actually glad to see Michigan find a QB and gain a convincing victory over Western Michigan. I really hope they beat Notre Dame this weekend...but that's a tall order.
Ohio State may have played the most uninspired football I have ever seen against Navy. Perhaps they're looking at that looming date with USC.
USC didn't have much trouble getting their new QB acclimated to the game. No one in the Pac-10 can touch USC. If they can avoid beating themselves, they should easily run the table.
Alabama and Florida in the SEC Championship Game again.

I think that covers it for today.

Instant Analysis: West Virginia's First Game

2009-09-05T19:44:00.005-04:00

You can't stay undefeated if you lose your first game. That's what I expect Bill Stewart to say in his press conference when discussing WVU's 33-20 victory over FCS school Liberty. It's a victory and WVU is 1-0. Whether the final score was 70-0 or 3-2, WVU would still be 1-0 if their score was the greater number. That's what I would expect Lou Holtz to say if he talked about WVU. But inside the numbers of the game, you can't feel real great about what happened on Mountaineer Field on Saturday.

The defense gave up 20 points and nearly 300 yards to a team that plays in the Big South. This is a team that is going to play West Virginia Wesleyan this year. Early in the game it appeared the Flames were going to be able to match WVU score-for-score. Thankfully, the defense settled in and made a few stops but the game was never fully in hand until a late Flames turnover. Linebacker play was solid but the secondary seemed suspect. There were a few plays where Brandon Hogan was clearly beat but the Flames QB didn't have the ability to get the ball to the open receiver. A better quarterback would have made some plays against a defense that played rather conservatively.

Another area of disappointment was kick coverage. Mike Brown averaged nearly 36 yards per kick return on 3 returns and Aldreakis Allen averaged 23 yards on his 2 returns. Considering this was a special point of emphasis for WVU, it was rather disheartening to see the team plagued with the same problems. On a positive note, Tyler Bitancurt and Scott Kozlowski both kicked well.

On offense, Jarrett Brown threw the ball well and didn't make any egregious errors that could have made this game interesting. I was happy to see Tyler Urban catching the ball downfield. I think the team made a special point of trying to get a vertical game going instead of simply relying on bubble screens and simple crossing routes. Throwing vertically can open the field up for Devine to make some spectacular plays.

Speaking of Noel Devine, I thought he played well. Still a bit too much east/west running but he was looking for holes and not trying to make every carry be a homerun. Brown also tucked the ball when it was appropriate but continued to look upfield until he was forced to run. Lots of yards...unfortunately, not able to punch in touchdowns and had to settle for field goals which was a bit disappointing.

Overally, it was a good win and a good way to start the season. The real tests begin next week when ECU comes to town. WVU will need to play better defensively to stop Pat Pinkney and extract revenge for last year's debacle down in Greenville. And I'll be anxious to see how the WVU offense executes against a real FBS opponent. And, naturally, something must be down about the atrocity known as the WVU kick coverage. Should be interesting. Then again, it always is.

Place Your Bets...NOW

2009-09-03T09:14:00.004-04:00

It's football season and, despite the fact I missed Week One predictions, it's time for me to predict the winners and losers for some games this week. Get out your wallets and put down money on these winners:

Fairmont Senior 49 - North Marion 13. North Marion might be improved this year but the Polar Bears are stacked. FSHS, Morgantown and University are going to be fighting for the NCAC crown this year...don't look for North Marion to derail the Polar Bears plans.

Morgantown 41 - Elkins 6. Elkins doesn't really have an offense. Elkins defense isn't all that great either. Morgantown could put up 70 but I think they'll call off the dogs early. Morgantown easily rebounds from the Week One loss.

Wheeling Park 28 - Bridgeport 17. This is going to be an emotional game for Bridgeport considering their recent loss of a player. But Wheeling Park is just too good. Expect a large crowd supporting the Indians but it won't be enough to overcome the firepower of WPHS. I wish the Indians the best, though.

Alabama 24 - Virginia Tech 20. What a great opening season game. That is unless you're Frank Beamer or Nick Saban. Both teams come in with great expectations and both could have their seasons shattered in Week One. Quarterback play for Alabama is key. Game is in Blacksburg but Alabama's defense finds a way to get the victory.

Florida State 31 - Miami 21. Randy Shannon has to turn the Hurricanes around in a hurry but it's not going to happen in this Week One matchup against Florida State. FSU looks like they could compete for the ACC crown and Miami is still a season away.

and the two games I care most about:

University 27 - East Fairmont 13. I'm concerned about the lack of a running game from the Bees against Elkins. And I'm not sure the Elkins offense really tested the Bees. This is the real test for East...if they can find a way to stay competitive with University, it might be a good season. If the Hawks just blow them out of the water...well, we'll see what happens.

West Virginia 52 - Liberty 6. WVU needs to come out and make a statement in this game. It's Liberty for goodness sake. If WVU can't put up 50 and hold them below 10, there's something wrong. This is a cakewalk...the only question is how easy it will be.

There you have it...place your bets today.

It's Football Time (Part 2)

2009-09-02T19:20:00.001-04:00

Well, we covered WVU who will finish 3rd in the Big East. What about the rest of the college football landscape? Can Florida repeat? Will Matt Barkley succeed at USC? Can Sam Bradford lead Oklahoma to the promised land? Is VTech for real?

Yes, Yes, No and No. Let's start with the Big East. Pittsburgh should win the Big East. Dan Wannstache has consistently out-recruited the other league schools. And yet Pittsburgh is unable to get over the hump and actually win the conference. This year will be no different. It's finally Rutgers turn. I don't like it either but Schiano finally gets rewarded for sticking with the Scarlet Knights by taking them a BCS bowl. No Big East team will make it through conference play undefeated but Rutgers Game 1 victory over Cincinnati is the tie-breaker.

Florida has the inside track for a repeat. The Gators have 8 home games this season. The toughest road game is at LSU on October 10th. The rest of the schedule lines up pretty easily for Florida. Even a loss to LSU may not derail their title hopes if they can beat Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Voters will reward Tebow and the Gators for their past deeds and put them in that BCS Championship game against...

Texas. The showdown is October 17th as Texas hosts Oklahoma. I give the edge to Colt McCoy and the Longhorns simply due to homefield advantage. The winner of this game has an inside track to the BCS Championship game and the winning quarterback gets rewarded with the Heisman Trophy.

And, just some quick guesses:

USC wins the Pac 10 with 2 losses.
Notre Dame disappoints and finishes 8-4.
Virginia Tech disappoints and finishes 9-3 and loses to FSU in the ACC Championship game.
Michigan State shocks and wins the Big 10.
Utah finishes undefeated...again.
And lastly, I was going to predict Michigan to turn it around this year and go 8-4 but Rich Rod's practice scandal and property lawsuit is very distracting. Another bad season for the Wolverines...and don't be surprised if Rich isn't looking for a way out of Ann Arbor soon.

It's Football Time

2009-09-02T08:52:00.002-04:00

There's a chill in the air so it must be time for football. I missed Week One of high school football but that doesn't really matter. It's time for real football...and by real football I mean college football. Might as well start out with what really matter: WVU football.

No Big East team is in the pre-season Top 25. But there's quite a cluster of them right outside the Top 25 which means the Big East and the automatic BCS bowl is up for bids. And, of course, WVU is one of the teams predicted to be in the thick of the mess for that bid. It's also a year for Bill Stewart to prove himself as the head coach of WVU. Last season has to be considered a disappointment overall. This season could be do or die for the West Virginia coach.

The loss of Pat White is what makes this season so intriguing. Can Jarrett Brown step up and replace the legendary quarterback? How will Stewart handle a Brown injury, should it occur (and is prone to occur)? Will Noel Devine be able to break out of the backfield and can he be an every down back? Are the receivers improved? And can WVU rely on the defense to win games?

It won't take long to get answers. After the cream puff of Liberty, WVU faces ECU (which beat WVU last year), Auburn (at Auburn) and Colorado (which beat WVU last year). If West Virginia can win those 3 games, things look bright. If they lose 1, it's ok. If they lose 2 or more, look for Mountaineer fans everywhere to be calling for Stewart's head on a stick.

So, now it's prediction time. I think WVU loses 1 of the first 4 games. I'm thinking Colorado nips the Mountaineers. It's an important game for Dan Hawkins as he has to show improvement at Colorado this season and they'll definitely be up for beating WVU at Milan-Puskar. The game at Auburn is scary but a new coach and a so-so team equals a WVU win. At Syracuse and Marshall are victories. UConn doesn't have the team to win this year so WVU gets off to a good 5-1 start.

At some point, Jarrett Brown is going to miss a game or two. Might as well be at USF, which always seems to have West Virginia's number. Again, the Bulls pull the upset after Brown leaves in the first quarter. A win at Louisville and we set the stage for the 3 biggest Big East games of the season. At Cincy, Pittsbugh and at Rutgers could go either way. I think, and don't shoot me, we drop 2 of those last 3 games. An 8-4 season. Not great...not horrible. Just like the coach. Enough to keep his job but nothing spectacular. Another Car bowl.

That's my early season predictions without actually seeing the team. If we lose to Liberty, all bets are off and I get to update this prediction immediately. This is one of the few seasons where I come in completely without expectations. I have no idea what to expect...and, who knows, a break here or there and this team could be undefeated. But it could also be 6-6. That's why they play the games, I suppose.

Welcome Back, Brett Favre

2009-08-24T08:40:00.002-04:00

I think I typed that title before...but I'm not going to check. Welcome back to the NFL, Brett Favre. You almost retired...almost. But, no, couldn't do it. You just wanted to raise the suspense. And just when it you had almost everyone convinced that you would actually retire, BOOM, you return.

I wasn't surprised. I had told people that he was returning to the Viking weeks before he actually did. Favre can't retire. Not until his arm falls off. And a chance to play for the Vikings and really stick it to the Packers was too much to resist. He couldn't come back during preseason workouts because, obviously, Favre is too good to actually practice with a team.

As I've said before, Brett Favre is all about Brett Favre. He worked with the Packers when it advanced his legacy. When it became apparent the Packers were done with his diva-like demands, the management kinda forced him out of town. He went to the Jets to try to make the Packers look idiotic for chasing him away. And now he's doing the same thing with the Vikings. Quite a risk...for Favre and the Vikings. Will be interesting to see how it plays out and whether Favre can usurp another NFL season with his drama. The only thing I know for sure: Somewhere John Madden is upset about retiring...

Sarah Palin???

2009-07-06T16:12:00.002-04:00

I haven't necessarily been doing a great job of keeping up with the news but this Sarah Palin story has me completely confused. She resigning her job as governor of Alaska to ? Get ready to run for President? In 2012? Her term as governor was ending in 2010 so...

I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't completely overwhelmed with her selection as McCain's running mate last year. I appreciated the fact that she energized the Republican base for a less than energizing candidate but I was never convinced that she was the right person for the job. And now I'm even more convinced that she wasn't the right person for the job.

If this is some strategy to run for President, it's a very poor one. Quitting in office is not a virtue. Sure, some may say she's stepping down because her heart isn't in running Alaska but I find that hard to believe. I'm wondering if there isn't a backlash against her growing in Alaska and there's a fear that Sean Parnell could lose in 2010 and embarass her in her home state. Or is there something even more sinister at work? There have been several investigations in her activities...is there a bigger one coming down the pike or a bigger one that has been threatened?

I'm not sure what's going on but this is definitely bizarre and doesn't make me want her as the Republican nominee in 2012. Given the current state of affairs, should the party look for someone a little more stable and predictable? You betcha.

2009-06-30T17:55:00.000-04:00

So, I traveled out to Chicago for a few days of vacation. It was definitely an entertaining trip. The main objective was to visit Andrew, who has lived in Chicago for the past 6-months and is now moving to North Carolina. I flew out of Pittsburgh with Brian and Ryan on Thursday. Thursday evening, Ryan's brother Ben was meeting us. He was flying out of DC.

Upon arrival at the airport, we learned our flight was delayed 20-minutes. That was probably good since we cut it pretty close anyway and that gave us a little time to grab a bite to eat. We flew into Midway and caught the Orange Line into the city. We prompty checked into our hotel and, well, it was pretty awesome. Directly across the river from Trump Tower and an amazing view of Chicago River.

After spending a little time at the hotel, we decided to head out and catch some sites. The first location was the Millennium Park. They were setting up for "Taste of Chicago," so there wasn't any traffic to deal with for the most part around the park itself. One of the cool things in the park is Cloud Gate, better known as "The Bean", which gives visitors a very unique perspective of the Chicago skyline.

And then there was the Buckinham Fountain, which most people will remember from the opening scene of "Married...with Children."

After that, Brian, Ryan and myself went to Potbelly's for a sandwich and entertainment by the guitar player up in a perch. The debate ensued on whether he was paid to entertain or just received a free lunch. I'm betting on the lunch. Anyway, after eating, we headed down the street and essentially ran directly into the only person I know living in Chicago, Jason. I tried to figure out the odds of that occuring but was unable to come up with a formula. I figure it's pretty astronomical though. It was definitely cool that it happened, though, and we were able to make plans with Jason before leaving Chicago.

We decided to spend some time doing a little more site-seeing in the city since Andrew didn't get off work until 5:00 and it was 2:00 at this point. We headed down to the North Avenue Beach for a bit, which is very well developed and very cool. We then went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Since it was in the 90s, not many animals were out and about to watch.

We finally met up with Andrew and had dinner. His apartment building was pretty interesting in that Charlie Chaplin and Bugs Moran had lived there and parts of Chucky were filmed in the building. After visiting a few establishments, we headed back downtown to the hotel. Upon leaving the train area and heading up the steps, we found that the City of Chicago was resealing the sidewalks. Since there was no other means of escape, we stepped on the freshly sealed asphalt where I promptly slid and fell.

That didn't really bother me too much over the course of the trip until the last evening. Then it hurt a bit. It's still healing. We stopped at a 7-11 on the way to the hotel where I made friends with crazy people, including a former lady security guard from Beumont and a Bohemian woman who just wanted toothpaste. All in all, it was an entertaining first day.

Death of an Icon

2009-06-29T17:31:00.003-04:00

I was going to write about my Chicago trip but Michael Jackson died in the middle of it so I thought I would talk about that today and save the Chicago trip for tomorrow. It was easy to know something happened with Jackson since you couldn't walk a block in Chicago without hearing someone blaring Jackson out their car windows or through their portable sound system (80s-style) or out of nearby shops. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Jackson was quite a character. It was nearly impossible to listen to the radio in the 80s or early 90s without hearing a Michael Jackson song. Thirteen No. 1 hits and 5 No. 1 albums don't do justice to his musical contributions. He defined an entire genre of music, bringing incredible beats, energy and dancing with his voice. "Thriller" continues to be a musical marvel to this day.

Of course, you can't take the good of Jackson without the bad. The constant controversy surrounding him clouded his genius. Bizarre news stories about his daily habits were released at a pace that far surpassed his musical releases. He shot back at the tabloids in his song "Leave Me Alone," but his behavior was too eccentric to ignore. And the allegations of abuse was much more than most could handle. Whether innocent or guilty, Jackson's judgement was questionable, at best.

But I have to ask whether the public would be as mournful today if Jackson weren't so strange. His strange antics have kept him in the public eye far more than his music in recent years. If Jackson had simply grown old, looked normal and faded into retirement, would people be as moved by his death? Sure, they would mourn and listen to old Jackson tunes but would there be this type of out-pouring of grief? The public longed for Jackson's "crazy" habits as much as they longed for his terrific music. He became a reality show of sorts. His monetary woes, his custody issues, his ever-changing and more terrifying looks -- all part of the sideshow that was Michael Jackson.

I was in high hopes that Jackson would shock everyone and make a comeback following the 02 tour. I was in hopes he would actually be able to perform again. I had read several articles listing new artists, like Akon and RedOne, that were axiously hoping to work with the King of Pop following his concerts in the UK. That was all wishful thinking, I'm sure. But at least there was a hope of such a thing occuring. Now that hope is gone...at least Michael's music remains.

Dave Matthews Concert

2009-06-21T10:17:00.002-04:00

After attending the Dave Matthews Band Concert on Saturday night, it's pretty easy to see why people travel all over to see the group and will go to multiple shows a year to watch the same group perform the same number -- they're awesome. Unfortunately I have no pictures as the event staff said "no cameras" and, like an idiot, I simply didn't take a camera into the venue. That hardly stopped the other 22,998 fans from bringing in a camera. How they accomplished this, I don't know -- nor do I really want to know. But I digress...

The Hold Steady opened for Dave. I purchased a Hold Steady CD a while back and never really got into it but couldn't remember why until last night. The lead singer, Craig Finn, doesn't really sing. He just kinda talks in a monotone way over the music for most of the song. There are very few lyrical pieces to the music. It's not bad...just not my cup of tea. After about 40-minutes, they cleared the stage and the giant curtain went up in preparation for Dave.

The venue filled in a hurry at 8:00 p.m., in anticipation for the opening of the show. We had seats in Row Z (26 for those with a math/alphabet issue) which had a decent view of the stage but I would have much rather been about 25 rows closer. The show started and everything was electric. The crowd was into it from the first notes and, well, it was just phenomenal.

They hit alot of their hits, like "Ants Marching," "Two Step," "Best of What's Around" and "Bartender" and mixed in a lot of stuff from the new album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Maybe they jammed a tad too long on a couple songs but the jams were all cool, especially the prolongs "Ants Marching." No "Satellite," "Crash Into Me," or "Space Between," but they couldn't hardly play the entire collection (unfortunately). After 3-hours, they finally closed with "Halloween," which delighted the fans in attendance.

Needless to say, I probably could have stayed another three hours to listen to them play. They honestly sounded as good at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as they do on a post-production live CD. Boyd Tinsley tore up the violin and Carter Beauford was amazing on drums. Really, the whole show was just amazing. And the crowd was well-behaved, which was nice.

Leaving the show was a spectacle as we sat in the parking area for a good hour hoping a group of people were going to fall out of a truck. It never happened unfortunately. However, the concert the girl in the next car over was putting on herself was definitely entertaining. Once we got on the highway, it was smooth sailing home except the downpours. The whole experience, though, was definitely positive. And I will most certainly be getting tickets to next year's Dave Matthews visit to the area.

State of the Union

2009-05-21T11:25:00.002-04:00

I'm just completely disgusted with the entire state of the current union. If you were upset with some of the hypocrisy of the Bush Administration, you would have to be absolutely pulling your hair out with the Obama Administration. This is a group that contradicts itself on a daily basis, from Guatanomo to bailouts to Iraq to national security. It's an administration adrift and confused.

Or is it? Perhaps confusion is how the Obama administration works best. Saturate people with conflicting stories until they have no idea what is really happening. We're shutting down Gitmo. No, we're keeping Gitmo open. We're restarting military tribuanals. We're trying them in the American judicial system. We're letting detainees go. We're transferring them to American facilities. It's a new story everyday. The Democrats relish in mis-direction and confusion.

The other thing the Dems are feeding on is pure fear. Swine Flu! Unemployment! Debt! Bankruptcy! War! Terror! Vaccines! Coal! Carbon! Global Warming! China! Dollar!

People accused the Bush Administration of playing on fears when it comes to terror. Well, the Bush folks were mere novices when it comes to playing the fear card. When people are fearful and not in control of their surroundings, they want to put their faith that someone will protect them. Obama has promised the government will protect everyone. The more fear, the more people look to the government to protect them. This plays right into their hands in the attempt to grow the government ever larger. And the media is right there to perpetuate those fears onto the American public and to further perpetuate the belief that only the government can protect folks from their fears.

The other thing I find extremely disgusting is the allegedly high poll numbers Obama receives. I have a hard time finding anyone that supports the Obama Administration policies. Even people who voted for him have gone out of their way to denounce the outrageous spending practices. I find it hard to believe that 70% of Americans approve of the direction this administration is taking us. Maybe 70% of those looking for a handout. Maybe that's the only people the press polls anymore.

I find it frustrating and, quite frankly, infuriating to watch the direction we are heading. That is the primary reason I have limited my writing. I find it hard to watch the news on a regular basis because of the constantly conflicting stories and the obvious Obama-worship that most newscasters display. I can only hope that we can rectify the issues that are being created. I'm not confident in that however.

Favre to Return...Again?

2009-05-06T09:34:00.002-04:00

Brett Favre is meeting with Coach Brad Childress of the Vikings to discuss possibly returning to play yet another season. This is hardly a shocking development. As soon as the Jets released Favre, everyone saw the potential for yet another Favre comeback. And, of course, it would be with the Vikings since Minnesota is an in-division rival to the team that made Favre famous, the Green Bay Packers.

If Favre returns and plays for the Vikings, it would be the final finger to all Packers' fans and prove that Favre has always cared more about Favre than the fans of Green Bay. Over his many years in Green Bay there were plenty of spin doctors playing on Favre's team, convincing anyone who would listen that Favre only cared about Green Bay. Last year's debacle with New York and now this year's Favre tease proves that Brett Favre only cares about Brett Favre.

Personally, I don't care whether he returns or not. It's always nice to have Favre out there helping defensive backs pad their interception stats but, other than that, there's not much use for him. Favre might be a working stiff yet again...time to hang up the tiara until next year.

NASCAR at Richmond

2009-05-04T10:44:00.006-04:00

Went to the Richmond to see the Crown Royal 400 this past weekend. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience. The most amazing part was the variety of people to see...and, well, there was a race too.

Being still considered a "southern" sport, we obviously saw our share of interesting people. The Confederate flag is still flown proudly in Richmond apparently...I imagine even more so the further south the race gets.

Yes, his leg says "Git 'er Done!"

This dude's back is a tribute to the Civil War with Generals Lee and Grant on the back.

And, well, I'm not going to say anything about this...

The facilities were what you would expect for about 90,000 people hanging out in a parking lot.

As you would expect with something as sponsor-oriented as NASCAR, there were booths setup everywhere advertising different products

But who really wants a sample of Hellman's mayonnaise???

And nothing really explains this guy...

Thankfully the it didn't rain during the race itself but we had a few good downpours mid-afternoon that sent the spectators scrambling.

Once inside, we found track drying was well underway. The sound of the track drying equipment is actually louder than the actual cars. It was painful listening to the blowdryers but at least they were able to get the track dry and start pre-race festivities on time. One of the more interesting aspects of getting into the track is that NASCAR actually allows you to bring your own food and drink into the track. So everyone had bags and coolers. It's pretty nice because you don't have to worry about excessive costs in buying a hotdog from a vendor. It's a very fan-friendly sport.

They parachuted in the American flag and there was a flyover. And the "The Commandant's Own" The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps performed the Star Spangled Banner.

Because of track drying, they actually started the race under the yellow flag to take care of any wet spots but it wasn't log before the green flag flew and we were racing.

Everyone there had their favorite drivers. Obviously, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. elicted the loudest applause while Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson shared the title for most boos. The crowd was most pleased when Johnson wrecked in the latter stages of the race.

I think the race tied or surpassed a Richmond record for cautions and a few occurred between turns 1 and 2 where we were located but, for the most part, there weren't any major accident.

Kyle Busch won the race handedly and, surprising, the crowd wasn't too opposed to that outcome. It just happened to be Kyle Busch's 24th Birthday so that was interesting too...

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. I think people take shots at NASCAR fans because of the redneck beginnings of the sport but the people at the track were really no different than the variety of people you would see at a typical Mountaineer game. I'm definitely going to have to go to another race at some point...it was an overall fun time.

Tea Parties

2009-04-16T16:58:00.002-04:00

"It's despicable that right-wing Republicans would attempt to cheapen a significant, honorable moment of American history with a shameful polical stunt."

Those are the words of Rep. Jan Schawowsky (D-Ill.) regarding yesterday's nationwide "Tea Parties." These tea parties are in protest to the unreasonable amount of debt being run up by the newly elected president and the obvious future tax increases that must occur to pay for these new programs.

What is amazing to me is Schawowsky's protest of Americans using their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Where is Ms. Schawowsky when Americans assemble to protest our military or Americans assemble to give rights to illegal aliens in this country? Oh, that's right...those are noble causes to Rep. Schawowsky. Real working Americans standing up for their rights isn't noble. Only the jobless should be out protesting anything, right? I'm sure that's what Rep. Schawowsky believes.

The Return of Tyranny

2009-04-09T08:38:00.003-04:00

President Obama has been busy these past 3 months. He is slowly, but surely, pulling the country further and further left and doing everything in his power to create additional dependence on the state and government for day to day living. He has weakened America's standing around the world for apologizing for anything he can find. And he plunges the economy deeper in the tank while doing so.

There are so many things wrong with his agenda that it is nearly impossible to find one item in which to go in detail. I guess I will discuss his primary goal which is to create additional dependence on the state to accomplish his ambition of the redistribution of wealth and equal misery for all.

This country was founded on the belief that all were created equal and all have equal opportunity to succeed. There is no guarantee of equal results. Unfortunately, it appears that President Obama has never read the United State Constitution or Bill of Rights. Or he has warped their meaning to the point those documents are unrecognizable.

If President Obama succeeds in his goals, all results will be equal. The redistribution of wealth and private property will occur making all people "equal" regardless of their success. The only way this can occur if for a greater power, the government, to control everything. President Obama believes the government can better handle life than the person actual living. Obama believes the government is better equipped to run your life than you are. Does that make sense?

From health care to education to creating a world government, Obama wants the government to run every aspect of your life and give up American sovereignty. This is the path we are heading down. And this president has accomplished more toward pushing us to this way of life in 3 months than all liberals have since our founding days. This is the return to tyranny from our government. This is the antithesis of what our Founding Fathers envisioned. If America doesn't wake up soon, it will be too late to stop this runaway train.

UNC = National Champs

2009-04-07T10:21:00.004-04:00

No real suprise the North Carolina won the national championship last night. It surprised me more than so many people though Carolina might lose somehow. UNC has superior talent and a superior coach. Izzo might have good teams out at Michigan State but they hardly compare to the talent that Roy Williams can acquire at North Carolina.

The only bad part about last night's game was the lack of drama. North Carolina proved from the opening tip that they were there to win a championship and nothing short of that goal would be accepted. UNC dominated the first half of the game by out-hustling the Spartans in every aspect of the game. It was a magnificient performance.

Roy Williams has cemented his legacy as one of the all-time great coaches by destroying Izzo's Michigan State. Two championships down...who knows how many more before he finally leaves UNC. The sky is the limit...he is at North Carolina.

Obama's Administration - Taking Jobs

2009-03-25T10:07:00.003-04:00

Unemployment is high, energy costs are going up and the government is trying to spend money it doesn't have. So, to make things better, we're going to shut down coal operations in West Virginia? How does this even make sense? Apparently West Virginia's unemployment rate isn't high enough for the Obama Administration. And cheap energy from coal? Well, why should Americans have any break on energy costs?

This Administration is proving to be so much more incompetent than I could have ever imagined. It would be almost comical if American's livelihoods weren't at stake. The damage being done now may never be undone. When the EU President is a voice of economic reason, there is something seriously wrong with the way things are being handled in the States.

Other countries are balking at buying American debt. The dollar is plunging amid fears of massive inflation and devaluing of American currency. Other countries are floating the idea of dropping the dollar as the world standard for currency. This is serious and has far more reaching implications than just high unemployment. But too many Americans are caught up in the euphoria from this "historic" administration to see the dangers that lie ahead. This administration is historic...but for all the wrong reasons.

Big East Rules

2009-03-23T11:27:00.002-04:00

Five Big East teams remain among the final 16 in this year's NCAA tournament. Not bad considering only 7 Big East teams were picked. Compare that to the two from the Big Ten and ACC despite the fact they also received 7 bids each. Funny considering some pundits thought the Big Ten should have as many as 9 bids this season. At the end, I think it shows the Big Ten is pretty weak and the ACC is having an off year. The Big East is the best in college basketball. Whether that translates into a national title is yet to be seen.

Is anyone really suprised WVU lost the opening round game? I'm not. I had them beating Dayton but it definitely wasn't because I believed they would. Thankfully I had them losing in the 2nd round. There's something missing from WVU's play and it's just not that we don't have a big man inside. The offense is anemic -- we rely completely on offensive rebounds to win games. Poor shooting will lead to losses and WVU has shot poorly.

On the other side, was anyone surprised that Michigan advanced to the 2nd round and gave Oklahoma a run? John Beilein is a heckuva coach. It's hard not to continue to enjoy Beilein's style of play. Michigan will be a top tier team in the Big Ten next year.

Lastly, how much longer until the United State is bankrupt? Obama is now talking about another $1 Trillion dollars in bad debt acquirement by the government. Where is this money coming from? China is already balking at buying more American debt. The dollar is dropping. We're devaluing our currency and soon will be hit with crippling inflation. Or at least that's the scenario I'm starting to see develop. What is the gameplan of the Obama Administration? I don't see one. I can't understand a word this supposedly articulate politician says. His contradictions already define his administration. And Congress may be even more confused than the president. Say what you will but the Bush administration was far more transparent than this supposedly transparent administration.

Random Stuff

2009-03-20T10:42:00.002-04:00

Haven't updated in a while...so, I'll just throw a bunch of things together real fast:

If George W. Bush made the "Special Olympics" joke that Barack Obama made on Leno, there would be marches in Washington DC by now. I'm not saying the joke was really that bad but I am saying there is a huge double-standard in how the press covers those types of events.
Perhaps this wouldn't have happened if Obama's Teleprompter had been used. It amazes me that the press has built this guy up as the most articulate president ever and he can't speak without the use of verbatim notes.
I dislike greatly Duke and Coach K but I have to give him props on recommending the president focus more on the economy than his NCAA picks. Perhaps he should spend more time on foreign relations than who is in his bracket.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has to love Barack Obama. The signals have been sent that the United States is weak on foreign policy and definitely doesn't have the backbone to backup rhetoric with force. We just want to play nice with everyone. Iran will have a nuclear bomb in a couple years...that will be nice.
I can't get WVU past Kansas in my bracket. I tried...just doesn't work. Hopefully they can get by Dayton today.
The AIG bonus mess has been projected through a very bias prism. If people were guaranteed money by a business, that business should pay that money. This is why the government should not be involved in private business. I am more offended by the corruption in Washington and the gifts our "representatives" receive. Perhaps those gifts should be taxed 100%. I would definitely be in favor of that course of action.
Lastly, is there any politician more disturbing than Nancy Pelosi? Google her...check her out. She's atrocious.

Burning Bridges

2009-03-06T09:05:00.001-05:00

Obviously the British press isn't overly impressed with the "Chosen One":

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/iain_martin/blog/2009/03/06/president_barack_obama_dislikes_britain_but_hes_keen_to_meet_the_queen

Obama is over his head and drowning. He can't give a speech without a teleprompter. He can't figure out the economy. And it's becoming evident that he doesn't know what to do with foreign policy. And yet people in this country remain oblivious. Eventually the honeymoon will have to end...and it will be a rude awakening.

Jim Cramer's Response to the White House

2009-03-05T09:54:00.001-05:00

I think this is all for today:

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/news/cramer-my-response-white-house

It's amazing that the White House is taking on individuals who disagree with their plans just to stifle opposition. And it's scary.

Anti-Green

2009-03-03T16:34:00.004-05:00

Conservatives are often labled as anti-green or anti-environment. I'm not sure that's a very fair assessment of the conservative position on the environment. I am very much in favor of clean air and water. I am very much in favor of not littering. I turn down the heat in the winter when I'm not home and turn off the air conditioner in the summer when I'm out. I bought rechargeable batteries and drive a car that gets 25 MPG. Shoot, I even bought those spiral lights that are environmentally friendly. But, I don't do those things for the right reason -- I do it to save money, not the environment. So that makes me anti-green.

My problem with the enviromental movement begin with the notion that we must suffer to make things right again. We must pay more for energy to right our environmental sins. We can't make the small changes that I said above but, instead, we must completely give up our way of life according to many environmentalists. Green has become a de facto religion for many on the far left with Man being a scourge upon the earth. We must either repent and suffer for our environmental sins or face an oncoming environmental apocalypse.

Personally, I just don't think that way. I am pro-environment as long as it makes sense. Obama's green initiatives are mostly subsidies for alternative energies that would lose money if they didn't receive subsidies. The long term plan is even more sinister. To force more people to use green energy, it must be cost effective. To make alternative fuels and energies more cost effective, Obama's initiative will find ways to raise prices on existing energies such as oil and coal. This, obviously, will be to the detriment of the American citizen since energy prices will sky rocket to give alternative energies some appeal.

Talk about destroying an economy. One of the few reliefs we have felt with this economy is the lower gas prices. If Obama has his way, those prices will return to $4 + or higher just to further the far left greenies. It is absolutely ridiculous to make people suffer just to satisfy a fringe group in this country. Progress can be made but we're not to a point that it is cost effective. Talk about taking a hit against the middle class...this will definitely hurt if Obama gets his way.

Why Limbaugh is Right

2009-03-03T13:09:00.002-05:00

The White House is attacking Rush Limbaugh as the leader of the Republican Party. They're not exactly right. Limbaugh might have the attention of the Republican Party but Limbaugh has long said he doesn't lead the Republicans. Nor does he run for office. If anything, Limbaugh leads the conservative base in this country. Not necessarily Republicans but rather a principle that can be taken up by Republicans, Democrats or Independents.

Conservative people typically vote Republican because the Republican party has often stood for conservatism when compared to the Democrat party. However, there are liberal Republicans as there are conservative Democrats. Limbaugh, much like other conservatives, do not have to agree with the Republican party. When George W. Bush expanded the government, conservatives protested. Conservatives raised concerns about the first $700 billion dollar bailout. Conservatives did not like the choice of John McCain. Conservatives, including some Democrats in the "Blue Dog Group" are concerned about the latest "stimulus" bill.

I am a fiscal conservative. I believe in lower taxes and less government intervention. I believe government hampers business. I am not against oversight but I do not believe the government should be interfering in the day-to-day operation of any business. I believe in free enterprise and that America works best in the private sector. And these are things that Limbaugh also happens to believe. And I believe that it is an American citizen's right to voice that opinion. As does Limbaugh. And it's because I am conservative first, and not a Republican first, that I can criticize Bush's expansion of government and bailout plan. It is because I am conservative first that I can compliment Joe Manchin's fiscal conservatism in keeping West Virginia in the black. I don't care if he's a Democrat as long as he follows basic economic principles to keep the state in check.

On a social agenda, I find myself at odds with some in the conservative base. There are many social arguments in which I just don't have an opinion. So I base 90% of my votes solely on the financial policies of the candidate. And that's the Number One reason why I'm having a hard time with Barack Obama. I don't believe his policies are going to advance this country. And I believe we are heading down the wrong direction. And, like Limbaugh, I don't want to see this country turn into a welfare state where the redistribution of wealth becomes the primary job of the state.

Lastly, I don't like the policy the White House has taken in trying to bully and intimidate opponents. They have tried to distort the words of anyone who publicly disagrees with their policy. They have obviously taken on Limbaugh and Hannity and, by doing so, pushed many Republicans back to their conservative ideals (thank you, White House). And they have taken on other journalists who voice their opinions. They have attacked Rick Santelli for disagreeing with the "stimulus" bill on CNBC in his famous "Chicago Tea Party" rant and now they are taking on Jim Cramer because the believes the White House is destroying wealth.

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the First Amendment guarantee Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press? Is it now not permissible to question the judgment of the White House? When the Press Corps was pushing a "Lose the War" agenda in Iraq and the White House called for a more balanced report, didn't the Press cite the First Amendment? Now the White House is trying bully the press even though a majority of the press has been favorable towards the "stimulus" bill. By calling out every critic and attempting to embarass their critics, they are trying to stifle opposition.

Anyway, I have strayed very far from my initial point. Limbaugh is right because he is standing up for conservatism. It doesn't matter whether it be a Republican or Democrat ideal...someone needs to stand up for conservatism and, for several months, he was the only person doing it. And that is the right thing to do...regardless of your party. In the next few days, I will try to explain what conservatism means to me...and why I'll vote for a conservative every time.

Closing in on Tournament Time

2009-03-02T19:51:00.003-05:00

I've been so wrapped up in the political world and bailouts and "stimulus" packages that I've barely paid attention to college basketball. That all changes quickly this week as we close in on conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament. Nothing compares to March Madness.

So, some quick observations...

West Virginia is a lock for the tournament. The question is whether they will get a bye in New York or not. The loss to Cincinnati was unnecessary. They may need to beat Louisville on Saturday to avoid playing on Tuesday in the Big East tourney.
If Notre Dame didn't have the name Notre Dame, would anyone even consider them on the bubble for the NCAA tournament? They're horrible and Luke Harangody is a bum.
I kinda like Louisville to win the Big East tournament. Pittsburgh will choke and I just don't think UConn is going to do it. Mark down the Cardinals.
Oklahoma better hope Blake Griffin doesn't get injured again. Talk about the wheels falling off...
Watch out because Kansas is playing like the defending national champions. They completely decimated a good Missouri team on Sunday. They could go deep into the tournament and throw out some favorites.
Speaking of Kansas throwing out a favorite, I'm worried about North Carolina. The 30-point victory over Georgia Tech allayed some of my fears but there's still something amiss with this team. I hope to see strong games against V. Tech and dook. They're still my favorite for the tournament...I just have a few reservations.
The SEC is one weak basketball conference.

Some teams have a lot of work left to make the tournament. It should be a fun end of the year. Most of the teams I care about are already locked in. If Notre Dame doesn't make the cut, I'll be a happy person until the tournament actually begins.

I-79 Connector

2009-03-01T16:50:00.003-05:00

I hadn't traveled down through State Street for a few months and was curious to see if any work had progressed on the I-79 connector to Downtown. Much to my surprise, there appears to be several areas in which there has been some work completed. Many houses are now gone and they've shut down the Dairy Mart and removed the gas pumps. If you don't want to travel the road, here are some pictures. Avoid it if you can...unless you have some good shocks. Trust me.

I'll travel the road again in a few months and see what changes there have been. I'll be anxious to see how much the economic slowdown delays progress on the connector...

Goodbye Philips Lighting

2009-02-28T19:23:00.003-05:00

On May 29, 2009, Philips Lighting in Fairmont will shut down their final line. The fluorescent lamp manufacturing company started in Fairmont as Westinghouse in the summer of 1941. In 1983, Dutch-based Philips purchased the plant from Westinghouse. At it's peak, the plant employed 2,900 people. There was a serious threat of the plant leaving in 1989 when Philips announced they would either close the Fairmont plant or a plant in Lynn, Mass. Thanks to a lot of hard work, the Fairmont plant remained open.

On that date in 1989, Philip employed around 800 people. When it was announced the Fairmont plant would remain open, Fairmont held a “Philips Appreciation Day." I remember attending "Philips Appreciation Day." Duggar (sic) from the Duggar & Al show MC'd the event. But over the years the appreciation faltered and employees dwindled from over 800 to just 89. The closing of the plant, while sad for those 89, barely caused a ripple in Fairmont considering the economic climate.

I'm sad to see Philips leave. My grandma worked there for many years and I'm sure that if you look back through your family and friends in Fairmont, you'll find someone who was employed at Westinghouse or Philips at some point. For a long time it provided much of the identity of Fairmont. Now, it will be just one more empty lot.

The Great Mistake

2009-02-26T19:22:00.002-05:00

On November 4, 2008, Americans went to the polls and elected Barack Obama as President. It doesn't take too much insight to see where the country has gone from that point forward. The stock markets continue to collapse, banks may need to be nationalized, governors are fighting over government money and Americans are fighting as to whether they deserve federal money or not.

Sure, these things were beginning towards the end of the Bush years but there remained confidence in the markets to stabilize. Bush presented an optimistic look towards the future, knowing American ingenuity would win the day. But with Obama, we now have a Coward in Chief. Instead of exuding confidence the American public, Obama presents doubt and worry. He revels in purveying fear and spreading doubt. And he is trying to quash any hopes of recovery.

America looks to the President for confidence in the future. Obama only returns fear. And with a purpose. By worrying the American public and further destroying the American, and world, economy, Obama can further his socialist agenda. By convincing the public that only the government can right the ship, he is able to steal more money from the working public. By forcing businesses to declare bankruptcy, he can justify further government expansion and liberal ideals such as universal health care and unlimited social benefits.

The United States was in a financial disaster when Obama took office but his doom and gloom attitude is threatening to turn this into a full fledged catastrophe. All for the advancement of an agenda that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have long dreamed of. It's an unbelievable turn of event. Wonder how many people would have believed where we are now back on November 4, 2008? I guess it doesn't matter now...

Begging for Money

2009-02-23T12:45:00.003-05:00

The true purpose of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's recent Asian tour was revealed when she visited China to beg them to continue buying American debt. If the Chinese elected not to buy American debt, there would be no money for the stimulus plan. Of course, the ace in the hole for America is that we provide, by far, the largest market for Chinese exports. So it makes sense for the Chinese to buy more American debt.

This huge trade deficit the United States currently has against China must be solved at some point. China has such a controlling interest in the United States that our very sovereignty could be threatened. China is much like an investor in a business. China is investing it's money into a business called the United States. And it has become the single, largest sharehold in this business. By being the largets shareholder, they can hold large sway over decisions being made by the company. In this case, is the United States.

China has threatened the nuclear option of liquidating American debt in the past. Yes, China would suffer if they chose to make sure a move but not nearly to the extent the United States would suffer. China's huge surplus in exports would help them recover from the collapse of the dollar. And a weaker yuan would only increase their imports. On the other hand, the collapse of the dollar and the staggering amount of debt on each American would debilitate the economy.

Instead of looking to an answer for this threat to national security, we continue to beg the Chinese to buy our debt. Eventually that debt will cost us dearly. It's not a question of if, but when.

The Growing Revolt

2009-02-19T12:47:00.002-05:00

Slowly, but surely, there's a growing feeling of uneasiness about the massive amount of dollars being spent on the "stimulus" plan and "bailout" plan. Americans are beginning to look at the total amount of money being spent and are starting to worry about how this money will be paid back. Fiscally responsible citizens are beginning to wonder why they are going to be paying the bills to bailout other individuals who were less frugal.

Only time will tell where this bailout and stimulus lead us. I believe it will be down a path of many, many years of hardship. Hopefully I am wrong but there's too much growth in the government as part of this "stimulus," which will ultimately lead to higher taxes and greater unemployment. And when the ecomonmy does turn, the potential for inflation or, worse, stagflation is great. There's a growing chorus of concerns. Obama has two years to turn this around or his revolution of "change" may be a short one.

Your Tax Money At Work

2009-02-13T09:44:00.002-05:00

The Senate is preparing to pass a 1,071 page, $790-BILLION dollar "stimulus" this weekend. That's $790-billion dollars of your money they are getting ready to spend. And some of the Senators are admitting they won't have time to read the entire bill. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) doesn't expect any of his colleguages will actually have time to read the whole bill.

And pushing even more is Nancy Pelosi who wants the bill passed before her scheduled trip to Rome this evening. By rushing the bill through, it breaks a promise that the Dems made to have the bill available to the public for at least 48-hours before any vote is taken.

This is our money. This is our country. This is not soley Nancy Pelosi's country. This is not soley Harry Reid's country. This is not solely Barack Obama's country. This is not their government. This country's government was formed on the idea that it was of the people, by the people and for the people. If we allow Pelosi and Reid and their cohorts to continue to hide legislation from or rush legislation through without the input of citizens, that government, as we know it, will perish from this earth.

State of the State

2009-02-12T08:42:00.004-05:00

I give Joe Manchin a pretty bad time usually. Most of the time it's because he seemingly cares a little too much about Mountaineer athletics and seems to be putting his nose where it truly doesn't belong. Perhaps that's simply a bad observation...but's it's probably accurate. But I must admit I was impressed by this State of the State address last night. At least what I saw of it before the electric went out.

When the federal government is trying to steal taxpayer money to expand the bureaucracy, it's nice to hear the governor speak of fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets. His promise not to increase entitlement programs was probably disappointing for the folks who believe government is the only solution to our problems. His promise not to raise taxes in the near term was much welcome. His pledge to stand against the teachers and not promise raises the state can't afford was brave and I'm sure it irked many. But at least the man was strong enough to make a stand.

West Virginia won't be immune to the financial downturn. But as long as Manchin maintains his promise to fiscal responsibility, West Virginia will move through the storm much better than many of these other states. Of course that might not be saying much...

Dangerous Wii Fit

2009-02-09T12:24:00.002-05:00

My sister has been looking for a Wii Fit and I tracked one down at Target today. I never pulled the actual game from the box but still managed to get injured. In my attempt to review the information on the box, I turned the box over and gave myself a "cardboard" cut on my little finger. As I tried to move the box to survey the damage, I managed to cut my thumb. So, I gave up, threw the game in the cart and immediately left. Thankfully, the cashier put the game in a bag so I didn't have to touch that sharp, dangerous box again. Be aware of Wii Fit boxes.

Why Increasing Taxes Fails

2009-02-08T16:09:00.002-05:00

So, the government is trying to spend its way out of debt. And, while doing so, trying to create additional government entitlements. Guess what...someone has to pay for it. And it's going to be you and me. So, to pay for these bailouts and entitlements, the government is going to raise taxes eventually. Maybe not on you and me but on businesses and "the rich." But, eventually, it will be on you and me. And here's why:

I own a business that provides a service to customers that pay me monthly. We did well last year and turned a profit. This year President Obama is going to increase my tax rate by 2%. Doesn't sound like much but 2% means about $1 million dollars for me. I have to find a way to get that million dollars back. My first step is to lay off 4 employees. That saves me $200,000. Now those employees are on unemployment costing the government more money.

To make up the rest, I pass an increase to my customers. Some customers, already paying more for other goods because of the tax increases on all businesses, decide to drop my business. Less customers means less revenue despite my increase in costs. I struggle by and manage to turn a profit by cutting costs and cutting corners. No Christmas bonus this year. But I digress. Let's see what happened here: I fired 4 employees, lost customers and, by the time the taxes are done, find that I am paying the same amount to the government in taxes as I did 2 years ago because of the decrease in revenue. So, despite the 2% raise in taxes, the actual dollar amount I'm paying the government remains identical and the burden on the government is greater because I fired 4 employees.

Now multiply that thousands of times and you see what tax increases can do to the economy. Let's look at what happens with a tax decrease:

I own a business that provides a service to customers that pay me monthly. We did well last year and turned a profit. This year President Obama is going to decrease my tax rate by 2%. Doesn't sound like much but 2% means about $1 million dollars for me. I now have an additional million dollars I can spend on my business. The first thing I do is begin a marketing campaign for my service. This increases my number of customers. Therefore, I hire 4 new employees which costs me around $200,000.

With additional money saved from taxes, I buy new furniture and build the infrastructure of my business to provide better service to my customers. Because of the increased service and marketing, I continue to add new customers and my business grows. Let's see what happened here: I have an additional million dollars so I hire 4 new employees. These employees can now pay taxes to the government and, if they were on unemployment, can now reject those government checks. My customer base increased because of my improved service which means additional revenue for my business which means I'm paying more in taxes today than I did 2 years ago despite the 2% cut. And, because my employees are making more money, they are paying more in taxes and having more disposable income to spend elsewhere.

Multiply that thousands of times and you have what saved the economy in the early '80s. Tax cuts give more money to people which means businesses can grow and hire more employees which increases the tax base, which actually increases the amount of money the government collects despite lower tax rates. This is the path that needs to be followed.

The government cannot tax itself out of debt. The burden will bury the American public and eventually lead to greater suffering. To see what taxes do, look no further than the tobacco tax. Sure, it made people quit smoking, which was a noble cause. But the increases in taxes funded several state programs. Once people stopped smoking because they could no longer afford to, the amount of taxes collected dropped. That meant those programs were underfunded so they raised the tobacco tax again. More people stopped smoking. Less revenue. And lord forbid the government ever cut a program. Instead, they're looking for other taxes to raise to make the difference. If you raise taxes on other goods, people are going to do their best to stop using those goods. Or they're going to cut their spending elsewhere.

Sure, it seems like tax increases would simply raise the amount of money the government would have. But that isn't the case. The rippling ramifications of even the smallest tax increases can be felt throughout the entire economic system. If taxing us out of our problems is the long-term solution by the Obama administration, we are in deep trouble. No country has ever taxed themselves to prosperity. And no country ever will.

Obama's Cabinet

2009-02-04T09:01:00.002-05:00

Tax problems, tax problems, tax problems. Tom Daschle owes $128,000 in taxes. Nancy Killefer, who withdrew her nomination for chief performance officer, had tax issues. And now confirmed Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner failed to pay $26,000 in taxes. And we want these people to determine policy for the country? They can't even take responsibility for one of the most basic principles in this country: pay your taxes.

What's even more concerning about these people is the fact that the government is trying to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars. More than ever, the government is asking American citizens to give away their hard earned money. And Obama is nominating people for government positions who won't even pay their previously obligated duties. What makes this even funnier is the fact that Daschle wants universal healthcare which would raise tax obligations to unprecendented levels. Of course, since he doesn't pay his taxes anyway, I guess he wouldn't be affected. But you will be...

The "Stimulus" Package

2009-01-29T08:30:00.002-05:00

If Republicans needed a rallying cry, an issue to bring the conservatives back together, this is it. This "stimulus" bill that President Obama is proposing is anything but stimulating. This is a package that contains pork and not the necessary provisions to really turning the economy around. Obama promised at least 40% of any stimulus package would go to real tax cuts. This bill only dedicates 33% to tax relief.

If Obama really cares about fixing the American economy, he would devote much, much more of the package to real tax relief for citizens. Cut capital gains taxes to encourage investment back into the stock market. Cut business taxes from the highest in the industrialized world to something reasonable that would promote business growth. Cut taxes across the board for all Americans to promote growth instead of just trying to give money back to people who don't even pay taxes. And make them real tax cuts, not one time cash injections. Quit punishing successful Americans and instead promote incentives for more Americans to become successful.

The continued punishment of the successful or "rich" is what is dragging down this economy. Why would anyone want to succeed in this environment that punishes success by allowing the government to literally steal your rewards? This stimulus continues the Democrat position of punishing those who attain the "American dream" while creating a permanent American under-class that relies solely on the government for their means to survive.

The other reason this stimulus should be rejected is the time in which it has taken to create. Why should we accept a bill that spends nearly $1 trillion dollars without adequate time to review and digest? Shouldn't the American people have access to where this money is going before our representatives vote yes or no? I would like to see what type of pork is being supported in this bill. It just doesn't make sense at this point to vote this through considering how poorly the last stimulus bill worked. And rushing this bill through just promotes more lost money and more waste. Why can't we wait a few weeks?

Obviously Obama has lost bipartisan support for a weak bill but that doesn't matter. Campaign rhetoric and real action are completely different things. If the Democrats pass this bill, the Republicans better make sure they are reminded of it non-stop in the next campaign cycle. It is destined to fail. And it may bring Republicans back to power. I would rather see a bill that really works for America but that's too much to ask from the controlling party.

Inadvertent Comedy

2009-01-27T08:55:00.002-05:00

I was reading the Times-West Virginian today and the Reader's Write column left me chuckling for the inadvertent comedy...I give you the letter against "rock and roll":

Today I went to shop in a store in Middletown Mall. We passed through one store with attractive music that would encourage customers to stop by and browse. In another store, I intended to do a lot of looking around for things to buy. I had not been there in a while and hoped to find a number of things to purchase. The music was not very good, and then a repetitious and controlling rock and roll song came over the speakers.

I immediately looked for a worker whom I could ask to turn off the rock and roll. I found a middle-aged worker, who may have been a manager and asked if she could turn off the music while we were in the store. She asked me, “Why?”

The music was harsh enough that I assumed she would have understood. I explained that it was irritating and she said they had chosen that music for everyone in the store. I let her know that we were leaving because of the bad music. She could have at least turned it down for the short time that we would be shopping in their store.

On the way home, I told my daughter that I still had that bad song in my mind. She said that she did, too.

One would think that a store manager would know that the purpose of the music in a store is to soothe the customer and to encourage them to step into the store and buy something. This store was using their music to run off customers.

I am glad that we could at least give one manager two votes against rock and roll music. I hope that this letter will get the message across to other store and restaurant owners that many of us do not enjoy, or approve of, the words and music of rock and roll songs.

Who would have thought ten years ago that restaurants would be “smoke-free?” Maybe more establishments in the future will become “rock and roll free.”

Maybe it was some harsh thrash metal song or something new (and completely horrible like Nickleback) but I can't help but hope it was Elvis or The Beatles. Those kids and their dag-gone rock and roll music.

The "Nationalization" of Amerca

2009-01-26T08:42:00.004-05:00

It starts out innocent enough. Investment in a bank. Investment in a business. Bailing out the car companies. But slowly we're working our way down a path to nationalization of America's biggest businesses. It's already started. Congress is demanding CEO capped salaries and ruffling feathers over the decorating of offices.

Obama has already showed his displeausre in the fact that Merrill Lynch used $1.2 million of TARP money to remodel an executive suite. Obviously, your reaction too would be of disdain if a company used taxpayer money to buy expensive trashcans. But dig a little deeper. What's the difference between Lynch using the money to remodel an office or loaning it to a company? To get out of this recession, are we not supposed to be spending money? What if Lynch decides to not purchase anything at all? Does that help their vendors or does it put more jobs at risk?

The bigger problem is the fact that the government is playing Big Brother to all these corporations. By determining what a company can and cannot do with their money is nataionalism. By freezing salaries or determining the costs of goods, the government is playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with socialism that may not be able to be turned back.

Even more scary than the government playing this game is the words of Obama attempting to silence his critics. Obama wants no debate over the bailout and no debate on the next steps of the government intervention into this recession. By marginalizing and polarizing his opponents, Obama is attempting to silence free speech. His goal is to demonize anyone with an alternative point of view, thus creating no opposition for Democrats for years to come. This is completely unacceptable and inheritedly un-American.

Healthy debate needs to be had on the upcoming TRILLION dollar debacle. All points of view should be accounted for when talking about this sum of money. And there should be steps in place to relinquish control of the "bailed-out" banks and return to free market principles. Anything less means a poor future for the United States.

The Race to Depression

2009-01-22T11:48:00.002-05:00

With the economy racing downward (or so it would appear), the press is playing the depression game. Every media outlet it desperately hoping to be the first to declare the economic situation a second Great Depression but none are brave enough to ventue into that territory unilaterally. Instead, they ask questions like "A New Great Depression?," "What would a depression look like?," and "The Dawn of a New Depression?"

Which network will do it? Which major network will bite the bullet and open the floodgates? My money goes on NBC, especially with the liberal MSNBC out there. They seem to be most likely to declare this the second depression even though there are no factors that could possibly quantify it as such. Unemployment in the Great Depression was at 25% in 1933. Today it is high, at 7.2% Is that the factor? Does the spiraling stock market determine the depression? Between October 29, 1929 and July of 1932, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 89% of its value. To date, the Dow has lost nearly 45% from its high in October of 2007. Still a long way to go to 90%.

I can't say we're not facing some very difficult times ahead. But there's no way to say we're in the next Great Depression until history has had a chance to look back and make that determination. The rush to declare it as such only further fuels the paranoia and fears of the people who rely on the news networks for actual news. Perhaps we are heading into the next Great Depression. But I won't be relying on the news to tell me that. I will rely upon the facts and make the determination myself...

The Obama Inauguration

2009-01-21T12:38:00.002-05:00

The Obama Inauguration went about as well as any other inauguration. Other than a stumble in the wording of the oath of office, I thought the ceremony was well planned and executed. The parade started a little later than usual but there were some circumstances beyond anyone's control, like Ted Kennedy's issue. What I thought went poorly was the news coverage of the event. The over-the-top coverage and lavish words heaped upon the incoming president reeked of partisan hackery.

Perhaps the worst offender that I saw was none other than NBC's Tom Brokaw. In describing the jubilation of the crowd, Brokaw likened it to the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. He quantified his remarks by saying that we weren't overthrowing a communist regime but an unpopular president was leaving office and "there's that same sense of joyfulness and possibility."

I took offense at Brokaw's comments. Sure, most would agree (including myself) that it is time for a new leader. And there should be jubilation at the change of power. But not because we are overthrowing some dictorial regime. Instead that jubilation should come from the fact that in the United State, the transfer of power is peaceful and respectful. Whether it is Obama or McCain or Bush or Clinton taking office, all Americans should celebrate the fact such changes in power can occur without bloodshed. I hardly believe that Brokaw would make such a comment if it were McCain taking office yesterday. Instead, he would be sure to point out an decisiveness that remained in the country.

All media coverage that I saw yesterday acted as though Obama is the candidate the entire nation wanted and everyone in America is happy to see him take the oath. Obviously, that is not true. There are nearly 50% of Americans who did not vote for Obama and believe that the direction in which he wants to lead is the wrong direction. But, once again, we do celebrate the fact that power changes hands in a democratic fashion. And I, who was not an Obama supporter, do hold hope that perhaps his plans will change the economic fortunes of this country in a positive manner. But to act as though Obama is the only voice for this country is deceiving and downright false. But I digress...

I did want to watch the full Inaugural Parade last evening but I couldn't stand watching because the commentators would not shutup for one minute. You couldn't hear the bands over the on-air personalities who believed they must fill every second of the broadcast with their mundane observations and perspectives on the events. They wanted to remind the viewers non-stop that they were witnessing history and then they wanted to put their perspective on history. If there were only one channel that would have broadcast the parade without commentary, that is certainly where my remote would have landed me. Instead, I watched the typical Seinfeld episodes that I would watch any other evening, apparenly missing history in the making.

And, now, just a few other observations:

BBC America may have had the best coverage. It was fair and interesting. I enjoyed the comparisons they made to our counterparts in Great Britain and the multiple traditions we inherited from our former Mother Country.
Al Roker attempting to get an interview with Obama was amusing.
The Carters and the Clinton snubbing one another may have been the highlight of all inaugural events. That, of course, followed the love-fest between Bill and George I in the hall.
I thought Rick Warren's invocation was very well written and delivered. All that outcry for nothing.
I'm about sick of the Lincoln / Obama comparisons. Those comparisons should only be made after Obama has actually performed some duty. To this point, he has made no official act as president and anyone proclaiming Obama a great president solely on his race is doing a disservice to everyone.

I think that's all I can think of at the moment. Basically, I was just highly disappointed with the coverage. Maybe Fox's coverage was better but I can't get Fox in high-definition. CBS and ABC seemed lost. I don't get CNN in high-def but I can't stand CNN anyway so it didn't matter. We'll see how things look a week, month and year from now. Hopefully all the celebrations are still going on...but I somehow doubt it.

Super Bowl

2009-01-20T11:00:00.002-05:00

Well, it's Arizona vs. Pittsburgh. So, I was wr-wr-wr -- I was mistaken when I said it would be Philadelphia and Baltimore. Those things happen. I would much rather see a Pittsburgh / Philadelphia matchup because I think Arizona is playing really good football. The key to the Super Bowl will be pressure that Pittsburgh can get on Kurt Warner, or the lack thereof. More information on that as the game approaches.

For now, I'm going to watch news coverage of the coming of the Messiah. Oh wait, again I'm mistaken...it's actually the swearing in of President Barack Obama. Given the way the media is gushing and acting, I would have thought it would be much more. I could go on and on about the over-the-top coverage but I'm sure there will be plenty of other people parsing the extremely partisan coverage. Listening to Tom Brokaw compare the new regime to a changing of the regime in a communist Checkoslvakia nearly made me turn off the coverage completely but then I remembered it's Tom Brokaw and NBC...what should I really expect?

I'm sure I'll have more to say about the Inaugural coverage soon. And I have some comments regarding Joe Manchin's Inaugural Address. All that and more (or less) soon.

It's So Cold...

2009-01-16T13:01:00.002-05:00

It's so cold that I went out and looked for jokes about how cold it was...and, here goes (some are funnier than others...none are really funny):

It was so cold today that I saw a dog stuck to a telephone pole.
It was so cold that O.J. led an armed raid to retrieve his stolen space heater.
It was so cold that I saw a politician with his hand in his own pocket.
It was so cold that Britney Spears made sure she had underwear on before she went out.
It was so cold that down at the city morgue, you couldn't tell the stiffs from the guys who worked there.
It was so cold that Richard Simmons started wearing pants.
It's so cold, even the Good Humour Man is in a bad mood.
It's so cold that instead of the finger, New Yorkers are giving each other the mitten.
It was so cold, I saw an Amish guy buying an electric blanket.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Be sure to tip your waiter.

Down to Four

2009-01-12T18:22:00.002-05:00

Only 4 teams remain in the hunt for Lombardi Trophy. I still stand by my prediction of a Baltimore/Philadelphia matchup...but there could be a developing chink in that matchup. Namely, the emergence of a Steelers offense.

Biggest surprise of the playoffs has to be the Arizona Cardinals. I never really believed Carolina was a Super Bowl caliber team but the meltdown of Jake Delhomme was nothing short of amazing. Five interceptions and a fumble put the Panthers in a hole that no team can easily escape. If Arizona gets Anquan Boldin back before Sunday, they could give the Eagles a real fit. The Eagles defense remained stout against the Giants but it would be very difficult to cover both Fitzgerald and Boldin with Warner throwing the ball. I will still give the edge to Philly, though. In a close one.

On the AFC side, well, it should be interesting. I have given the Baltimore defense a lot of credit but I can't say I was overly impressed with their effort against the Titans. Tennessee moved the ball but they couldn't finish a drive. The Baltimore offense wasn't that great because Tennessee lined up against the run. I would expect more Flacco passes this week. On the other side, Pittsburgh annihilated San Diego. The defense played well but the amazing part was the newly discovered offense. Parker ran the ball like you would expect, the offensive line played well and Roethlisberger didn't make any dumb mistakes. His passes were crisp and on target.

This game could be a battle for the ages. The two best defenses in the league should make this very interesting. If Roethlisberger and the offensive line play as well as they did against the Chargers, Pittsburgh can score on the Raven defense. The key is minimizing mistakes. Beating a team three times in a season is a tough order and Pittsburgh is going to have to do just that to make it to another Super Bowl. I hope Pittsburgh wins but I've already made my Super Bowl pick and the Steelers weren't there. So, I go with Baltimore...in an amazing game.

Decline of Civilization

2009-01-10T20:02:00.004-05:00

It's tough to say that there is a decline of civilization based solely upon what is on television but I believe there may be some correlation. Today, simply looking for something to wither away a few hours, I ran across a show entitled "Bulging Brides." As the title might suggest, this is a show about women hoping to slim down before their big day. Really? This is the type of show that passes now?

To continue on the same lines, there's a show called "Parking Wars" about meter maids and people who tow vehicles. There was the show about airport workers. There's a mulititude of shows about people purchasing, selling or remodeling homes. And don't get me started on the VH1 shows trying to hookup has-been stars with girlfriends/boyfriends or both.

Reality television has gone overboard. Survivor and Amazing Race at least had a purpose. Shows like The Bachelor started a downward trend that now ends with showing overweight brides trying to squeeze into a too-small wedding dress.

It appears this new genre of odd reality shows are here to stay. The budgets for a reality show are a fraction of a fully developed show and there's hardly the same overhead should the show fail. A production staff exists but not the myriad of actors, writers and editors that would exist in your normal prime-time show like Law & Order. It'll be interesting what they do next. I imagine Dog Lives - The secrets of what your dog does while you're at work can't be too far off. Shoot, they probably already make it...just tune into Animal Planet.

Dick Vitale Announces an NBA Game!

2009-01-08T08:37:00.003-05:00

Have we really sunk so low in marketing that ESPN was actually hyping that Dick Vitale was leaving the college ranks to announce one NBA game? Have we reached a point where ESPN personalities become more important to the game than the actual contest itself? Instead of hyping a contest between Denver and Miami or between Carmello Anthony and Dwayne Wade, ESPN hyped the announcing of Vitale. What a said state of affairs!

Needless to say, I did not watch the game as Vitale's schtick doesn't cut it for me. He shows a great passion for the college game but ESPN has turned him into a caricature. He has become a mere vessel for catchphrases like "awesome, baby" and "PTP-er." And every game he looks for ways to throw in the phrases for which he can accredit his fame.

ESPN has created a cast of characters to broadcast games. From Berman's "back, back, back" to Corso's "not so fast, my friend," ESPN has dumbed down their sporting news to the point that it is nearly intolerable. Unfortunately, decent reporters get lost in the mix at ESPN because they don't "draw a crowd."

Regardless, you know there's some amiss with the entire venture when a broadcasting personality is expected to draw a bigger crowd than the actual game itself. It's hard to tell whether it is truly an issue with the NBA or with ESPN. Either way, I would be quite offended if I were a Denver or Miami fan.

My Investments

2009-01-07T08:35:00.005-05:00

For some reason I decided to watch Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel last evening and was subjected to Gumbel bloviating about his journalistic conquests. In the course of his self-aggrandizing, he showed an interview with Bill Parcells. Parcells was at the track and I was wondering whether Parcells owned a portion of the track. Which naturally led me to think about the investments people make and about my own investments to this point in my life.

I have a few safe investments made: a retirement fund, a money market. Not a whole lot but something thatI can collect a little interest on and hope that it leads to the path of retirement. But upon further contemplation, I realized that my primary investment is actually in people. That may sound a bit odd but when looking at the true financial investments I have made, it pales in comparision to the financial and emotional investments I have made in the people who are friends and family.

An investment in individuals can pay great dividends. There's not any true financial gain but the return on investment can be many times that of money. When a person you're invested in succeeds or accomplishes goals, you feel good too. Not necesarily a windfall profit but something that goes deeper. But the losses you can sustain are greater than any stock market crash. When an investment in a friend goes bust, the cost cannot be measured on any ledger book. And the writeoff isn't nearly as easy as selling a simple stock.

I've seen my investments gain and lose value over the years. I've seen some investments rise beyond the level of Exxon only to fall below GM. But most seem to gain value over the course of time, even when amount of trading falls. And there are some which I can't forecast what rate they may be trading a month from now. But, all in all, the investments I choose to make remain sound and I hope that they are not misplaced. Only time can tell whether my investments are wise or not. I know the risks...and yet I'll continue to stay in the market.

Obama Coins

2009-01-06T19:20:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you've seen the commercials. Heck, I'm sure you've even bought a few. I give you the official Obama coins:

Yes, this coin can be yours for only $9.95 or $19.95 or whatever you want to pay. What a deal! Just visit obamacoinonline.com or obamacoincollection.com (which has more awesome coins) to get your exclusive deal. Just look at that coin and tell me you don't feel inspired. Recession, depression, whatever comes, I can look at my coin and feel the audacity of hope. Order now as supplies are limited.

Technical Documents

2009-01-06T09:33:00.002-05:00

I hate technical documents. There cannot be anything more boring in this world than to read white papers or best practices papers. They are dry. They are overly wordy. And they are boring. I literally read 2 sentences of Microsoft's "Using Microsoft Technologies to Empower Law Firms" before trying desparately to find something else to do. I would much rather do actual work than read this drivvel.

Anyway, I was rather disappointed in the Texas/Ohio State outcome last evening. I believed Ohio State would finally fling the monkey from their back and win a big football game. I was incorrect. But Texas hardly was the offensive juggernaut that many had claimed. So the question begs: Are Big 12 offenses that good or Big 12 defenses just not that good? Ohio State is hardly an offensive power and Texas Tech losing to Ole Miss proved more to me than the OSU game. It's up to Florida to expose the Big 12 for the conference I believe they are this year. And I believe they will. Tebow is a better field general than Sam Bradford. No doubt.

Lastly, as for the NFL, I still stand by my Baltimore/Philadephia pick. Baltimore may truly be the best team in the AFC. Philly is probably not the best in the NFC but they just need a couple decent games from McNabb to end up in the Super Bowl. If the Ravens can score, they can't be beat. And it looks like they've finally found a way to score. A boring Super Bowl? Yes. But that's probably what it's going to be.

Top 10 to Disappear for 2009

2008-12-31T09:12:00.000-05:00

Goodbye 2008. And hopefully goodbye to these people who made headlines in 2008. I could do without them in 2009...at least most of it:

1. Brett Favre - Princess/Queen Favre needs to just finally retire. Now. Leading the league in interceptions year after year is definitely impressive but enough is enough. Retire Brett Favre. Please.

2. Joe the Plumber - Maybe he had a good point and asked Obama a good question but the media blitz that followed was nothing short of insane. After McCain took him on the campaign trail and lost, Joe told the press that he didn't really like McCain either. Goodbe Joe the Plumber.

3. Rod Blagojevich - Unfortunately the guy won't just resign and disappear. No, he has to appoint a replacement senator and make things even more complicated. As nice as it would be for Blagojevich to disappear, he probably won't. Too bad.

4. The Clintons - I've been wanting them to disappear for about 10 years but they just won't go away. Hillary as Secretary of State? How sad. And now Michael Bloomberg chose the pair to drop the ball on NYC on New Year's Eve. Why? Go away already.

5. Caroline Kennedy - She wants to be a Senator now? Having the last name Kennedy doesn't make you qualified to be a senator. We don't live in pre-revolution France. Get some experience and come back...or don't come back.

6. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - He's been somewhat quiet lately but that's unlikely to continue. He's insane. While we're at it, Hugo Chavez can go away too. And Fidel Castro. Maybe Castro already did? And Vladmir Putin. These people can all go away.

7. The following should stop making music in 2009: Brittney Spears. Heidi Montag. Pink. Nickleback. Daughtry. David Cook. Metallica. I'm sure there are bunch more but those are the firs that come to mind.

8. The Dallas Cowboys. The Boston Red Sox. The Pittsburgh Panthers. The ACC (in football). Did I say Brett Favre earlier? Duke.

9. Middle East. The whole area could probably disappear really...just leave the oil. What a mess. Do we really have to continue to deal with this in 2009?

10. Myself? Sure, why not? If these people are going to be in 2009, maybe I'll just skip to 2010. Ah, if it were only that simple. Nah, instead I'll continue to complain that these people and things exist. We'll see how that goes...Happy New Year.

Let the Crying Begin

2008-12-29T09:27:00.002-05:00

The NFL playoffs are set and New England hasn't been invited. Let the crying in Boston commence at once. It's already started -- for those of you that want to cry with New England fans, here are the talking points (and you have to make these points in as whiny of a voice as possible):

It's not fair. San Diego went 8-8 and made the playoff and the Patriots won 11 games and don't. WAHHHH!
Look at all the obstacles New England overcame this year to win 11 games. WAHHHH!
Tom Brady didn't even play and New England won 11 games. WAHHHHH!

Maybe it's not fair that an 8-8 team makes it in over an 11-win team but that's the way the league is setup. Same with baseball. Is it fair that a team with a losing record could technically make it in to the playoffs over a team with over 1oo wins? Probably not but that's what the divisional races are all about. If New England wanted to make the playoffs, they should have beaten Miami in Week 3. Their only win over playoffs teams were Week 12 over the Dolphins and Week 16 over Arizona, who had already wrapped up the NFC West. Pardon me if I don't feel overly sympathetic for the Patriots. But I don't need to...they have ESPN for that.

Okay, other NFL stuff:

Watched every second of the Eagles/Cowboys game. Oh, that was just amazing. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a full T.O. meltdown where he rips off his Cowboys jersey, steals an Eagles jersey from a fan in the crowd and tried to rejoin the Eagles team. And then McNabb beats him down and Andy Reid gives him a belly splash. Yeah, that would be better.
Does anyone else thing Ben Roethlisberger is a drama queen? He's injured pretty much every game. I really thought Mike Tomlin was going to go out on the field and just laugh at him.
Detroit went 0-16. Ha.
Philip Rivers v. Jay Cutler. What a rivalry...I guess. I was happy to see San Diego make the playoffs...especially after everyone said they were dead 5 weeks ago.
New England. Haahahahahahaha.
Goodbye Romeo Crennel....or Art Shell. They are the same person!
Goodbye Eric Mangini. That makes me sad. I wanted him to beat Belichick so badly.
Goodbye Rod Marinelli. Didn't win many games but you'll go down in history.
Goodbye Brett Favre? Maybe? Maybe not? Hey, it's Brett Favre...you'll know what he's doing when he knows what he's doing.
Lastly, some really early picks for your 2009 Super Bowl. This isn't who I want but I think is most likely to be there: NFC - Philadelphia. (McNabb will find a way to blow it but the door is definitely open for them.) AFC - Baltimore. (I hate to say that but if the Ravens can find any offense, they might be unbeatable. Pittsburgh has too much QB drama.)

That's enough for the NFL. I'll comment on the bowl games later or tomorrow or sometime before next season. Bill Stewart...coming later.

Christmas Movies

2008-12-24T10:14:00.002-05:00

I don't really watch Christmas movies so I'm hardly in a position to rank the worst Christmas movies of all time. I've never watched all of Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life. I've probably seen enough bits and pieces to know the whole movie...but never have watched the whole thing non-stop. Jingle All The Way, Christmas With The Kranks, Fred Claus? Nah, I'll pass on all those too. The one Christmas movie I do watch every year, and how could I possibly miss it, is A Christmas Story.

For a consecutive 24-hours you can watch Ralphie Parker try to convince everyone that he needs an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock. Watch Randy get bundled up for winter and unable to get up when he falls (Med-Alert, anyone?) A department store Santa, a bully named Scott Farkus and fudge all make appearance in this class. And, of course, the Bumpus hounds destroy a Christmas turkey, leading to the final climax at the Chinese restaurant, a Christmas not to forget, indeed.

This is about the only Christmas movie I know I'll see this year. As every year. I've recited the lines here at work ad naseum. I even received a "Triple Dog Dare You" t-shirt for a Christmas gift, which highlights the amazing scene in which Scott Schwartz valiently sticks his tongue to that flagpole and gets stuck. Truly amazing stuff. If you're one of those people who have refused to watch "A Christmas Story" because it looks dumb or because of the hype, you don't know what you're missing. Check it out.

And, if you're bored, go here: http://www.uglychristmaslights.com/ and check out some ugly Christmas light.

Festivus and another Christmas Carol

2008-12-23T15:36:00.003-05:00

I almost forgot that today is Festivus. So get out your Festivus Pole (preferably aluminum due to its very high strength-to-weight ratio), air your grievances to friends and family and compete in the feats of strength because everyone knows that Festivus isn't over until you pin me. So, Happy Festivus everyone. Oh, and watch this video below. At least to the chorus...trust me, it's amazing.

Tis the Season

2008-12-23T08:28:00.003-05:00

Beginning on Thanksgiving Day, some radio stations insist that they must play Christmas music non-stop. Others are a little more forgiving and wait until the day before Christmas to begin the onslaught of yuletide greetings. I'm usually burnt out on Christmas tunes in about 3-days. But there are a few that just absolutely boil my blood. Here goes:

7. Santa Baby by Madonna - Talk about taking Santa in a bad direction. A lusty Santa is about the last thing I want to think about during the holiday season. And, considering Madonna is now a student of Kabbalah, this song should be banned.

6. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon - Won't be a popular pick to put on this list but I really can't stand this song. The Lennon version is somewhat acceptable but all the covers are extremely bad. Well, come to think of it, the Lennon version is bad too. It's depressing and way below Lennon's standards.

5. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town by Bruce Springsteen - Can you say overplayed? I can think of better things to listen to than The Boss belting out this Christmas classic. I turn the station every time it comes on.

4. The Twelve Days of Christmas by Way Too Many People - Yes, it is a classic. But it lasts for 12-days. It goes on and on and on. You have to listen to the phrase "and a partridge in a pear tree" 12 times. And who gives that as a gift anyway?

3. Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid - I know it's Christmas because I have to listen to this song. Sure, it was for charity. 20+ years ago. Now it's an accepted Christmas carol? Horrible.

2. Christmas Shoes by Newsong - This song has been accepted as a Christmas classic way too quickly. Another depressing song and one that has been blown way out of proportion. They made a movie about it. Kid wants to buy shoes for his dying mother and a stranger helps him. Nice story but, geesh, this isn't what I want to hear on Christmas. Another song that immediately makes me turn the station.

1. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Gayla Peevey - Gayla Peevey was only 10-years old when she recorded this travesty. Had she been older, I would have demanded that a "crimes against humanity" charge be brought against her. It's not funny and the voice is enough to drive a person insane. It is my least favorite Christmas song of all time.

There's more I'm sure. There are lots of bad Christmas songs that receive airplay because radio stations are desparately trying to fill air time. But can't we do something about these 7 this year to get them removed from the air completely? And, after that's done, I'll start on the next list. Trust me, it's a lot longer...

Where is the Global Warming?

2008-12-22T10:39:00.002-05:00

Four-degrees this morning. That's a wee-bit chilly. Even worse, it's only about 55-degrees in my office...and it's not warming up. I am cold. And the testing lab can't be more than 48-degrees at the moment. Not a good day.

Did Coldplay rip off Joe Satriani? You be the judge:

Merry Christmas...Oops

2008-12-19T13:58:00.002-05:00

Something You Don't Expect

2008-12-18T13:51:00.002-05:00

The Senior Adult Choir. Singing. Hip-Hop?

Football Stuff

2008-12-17T11:41:00.003-05:00

I've neglected the NFL completely and haven't said much about college football, other than the lack of enthusiasm for WVU's season. So, I figured I would give a year in review kinda thing for football too...

Missouri has to be the biggest disappointment in college football this year. I was banking on Chase Daniel having an amazing year and winning the Heisman. Instead, they limped through the season and got destroyed by Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game and cost me $100. Thanks Mizzou.
Tim Tebow was absolutely robbed of the Heisman. He gets the most first place votes and is left off 154 ballots? That makes no sense what-so-ever. Voters just didn't want a back-to-back winner.
South Florida is the most bizarre team in college football. They choke every single year. Talented, yes. Consistent, ha!
The Steelers have an amazing defense. If they could put some of the defensive players on offense, maybe they could score some points. If the offense can't put up some numbers before the 2-minute warning, I don't know how they expect to go deep in the playoffs.
Anyone feel bad for the Patriots? I didn't think so.
Joe Paterno is going to coach at least another year. Which means Bobby Bowden will have to coach at least another two. That's fine by me, I suppose. My biggest problem is that Jabba the Weis gets to coach another year.
Brett Favre has thrown 17 interceptions this year with the Jets. Not surprisingly, that leads the NFL. Thank you, Brett. For those counting, that's 463 career touchdowns vs. 305 career interceptions.
Nick Saban did a heckuva job at Alabama this year. Texas Tech threw the ball a bunch. Texas played well but lost to Texas Tech. Quit crying.
Steve Slaton is having a great rookie season with the Titans. Rookie of the Year consideration should be forthcoming.
Not going to the Car Bowl. WVU has an uphill battle in Charlotte.
Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech. Sounds like a great nap.
Florida will win the National Championship against Oklahoma.

That about covers it for football.

Year in Review

2008-12-15T08:57:00.012-05:00

With but a couple weeks remaining in 2008, I thought it was a good time to reflect on the year that was...eh, mostly so I don't forget...

Bill Stewarts leads WVU to Fiesta Bowl win and is promptly hired as the next coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers. It was an emotional choice and is still somewhat questionable.
Went up to Shred Rodriguez night in Wheeling and attended my first hockey game. It was a good experience. Went to another one this year and will probably attend a couple next year. Good entertainment for a low, low price. Can't beat that in today's economy.
February is a long, long month despite its shortness. If things could go wrong, they more than likely did.
Eli Manning wins a Super Bowl, Brett Favre becomes a queen when he retires and then conceded the throne by returning to the NFL, leaving Green Bay in a mess.
We begin rolling out Vista to end users. The event will haunt us throughout the rest of 2008 and continues in 2009. Bring on Windows 7!
WVU, under the direction of that Pimp Bob Huggins, once again, and surprisingly, visits the Sweet 16.
Took a cruise down Bahamas way. Very interesting...want to take another.
Attended a Pirates game to watch them continue their streak of futility. How 'bout them Pirates? Eh, don't ask.
Mike Garrison was chased from West Virginia University following the Bresch degree scandal. Hey, if he didnt' go then, he'd be chased out now over the disappointing football season.
I went to the Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon. More entertaining then one would think.
Went to Ocean City for about 5-days. Felt like a lifetime. The stop at Barbara Fritchie's was, unfortunately, the highlight. Ah, I kid...kinda.
Attended the Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker concert at Post-Gazette. An amazing performance by both entertainers.
Left for a few days and came back to find my desk had been given the Jonas Brothers business. Ah, those darn Jonas Brothers.
The economy continues a downward spiral. Too many articles to even begin linking.
I satirically predicted WVU would lose to Villanova. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought WVU would lose 4-games (ECU, Colorado, Cincinnati and PITT and nearly more) over the course of the season. My satire was closer to reality than preseason polls...that's for sure. (And my Bill Stewart quotes are spot-on.)
America elected a new president. Only time will tell....
Headed down to Louisville to watch WVU actually win a football game. Unfortunately, I went up to Pittsburgh and had a much different experience (in multiple ways...?)

So, that seems to about cover my 2008. I don't anticipate anything exciting over the next 2 weeks. I am almost certainly not going to the Car Bowl in Charlotte (notice the almost, though). The Year 2009 should be interesting...a new president and a struggling economy should be weighing the heaviest on the minds of citizens. There will be a lot of eyes turning to Mountaineer basketball soon and then growing dissatisfaction with Bill Stewart could turn ugly if 2009 is worse than 2008. Sports...always entertaining...just like politics.

Anyway, that's all for now. Now back to trying to figure out this Vista mess. Some things never seem to end.

Blagojevich Probe

2008-12-10T11:44:00.003-05:00

The story of Rod Blagojevich is amazing in its stupidity. Here is a governor that not only was corrupt but relished in his corruption. The guy essentially knew he was under investigation for his "pay to play" schemes and enjoyed the game, daring federal agents to come get him. This is but one in the myriad of corruption charges being levied against Democrats and their alleged integrity.

You have William Jefferson down in Louisiana and his freezer full of money. There's good ol' Charlie Rangel and his tax loopholes to avoid paying taxes (while he wants to raise taxes on you). How about Cynthia McKinney trying to beat up security? What about Edward Mezvinsky, Jim Traficant and Robert Torricelli? How about the fact that Jesse Jackson, Jr., is Senate Candidate #5? Maybe he didn't offer Blagojevich $1 million for the vacant Senate seat...but would it surprise you if he did? And don't forget Obama and Rezko...is there something there? I guess time will tell...

The point is that Republicans hardly have a monopoly on corruption in government over the past 8 years. Democrats are just as guilty. The fact is that many politicians play "the game" in order to advance their careers. Nancy Pelosi's move to rid Washington of the "culture of corruption" is nothing but insincere rhetoric. If it were any more than that, she would have moved for the removal of Jefferson and Rangel from office long ago. But, in Washington, things remain "politics as usual" regardless of who is in control.

Snow = Lost Minds

2008-12-08T15:14:00.003-05:00

I always love the first snow of the year that sticks to the roads because it means everyone loses their freakin' minds. They forget how to drive. Some forget that snow = slick roads. Others believe that snow = unmitigated disaster. There's very few in the middle.

So on Saturday the area experienced the first real snow of the year that created hazardous roads. And I needed to run to Wal-Mart (yes, I hate it too) to buy a few provisions (Hot Hands and a white pullover) for the Mountaineer game. I just happened to time my exodus with when the snow began to stick to I-79. Oh, the horror.

I was in no real rush to get to Wal-Mart so I was cruising in the slow lane, getting passed by all these indestructible SUVs. Around the Pleasant Valley exit, I got to see my first accident of the trip. A truck had somehow managed to do a 180 and was now sitting next to the guard rail facing the wrong direction. Apparently I wasn't the only person to see this as everyone decided that moment was a good time to slam on their brakes. No, they don't slow down...they slam on their brakes. A few slammed on their brakes and had a little fishtail action...smart.

So, now that these people decided they were going to go 15MPH, I had to go over in the passing lane. Mind you, I'm traveling between 55-60 at this point...not slow but not up to the speed limit. That obviously is no where near fast enough for some. Some Escalade decided he wanted me moved and pulled up on the bumper. That really doesn't phase me a bit but I noticed. And, of course, slowed down more. Flashing lights doesn't phase me either. But I eventually let him pass...just in time for him to get stuck in the traffic from the accident on the bridge past the Kingmont exit. By timing my merge into the right lane, I was able to get off at Kingmont and by-pass the accident. Score one for me.

Of course, on my way through Benton's Ferry, I ran into another accident on the bridge. Someone stopped at the stop sign despite the sign that says they don't have to stop when making a right turn. The person behind them was sleeping or speeding or something and slid into their rearend. Not good.

I'm sure there are a dozen more horror stories from the snowfall and ice on Saturday. But it remains evident that people absolutely lose their mind when the snow starts flying. If people would just slow down and pay attention, these issues would go away. Why slam on your brakes? And why tailgate someone or continue to go 80 MPH when you see accidents? Use a little common sense out there...it's snow, not the apocolypse.

4th Hour of Today Show

2008-12-08T14:51:00.002-05:00

I woke up late today and after calling work, they decided I could stay home until close to noon so I could bring in lunch. Works for me. So, I decided to watch the Today Show, which still remains my favorite morning show...despite some serious reservations about some of the people on there. At the 10:00 a.m. hour the usual crew I was watching disappeared and Kathie Lee Gifford and this person Hoda appeared. Wow.

First, do we really need a 4th hour of the Today Show? Four hours? It's not that good. Yes, I was going to watch that 4th hour because it's better than Rachel Ray but I'm still not sure a 4th hour of any show is justified. Unless it's Law & Order. Then 4 hours is acceptable.

Second, what is Kathie Lee and someone named Hoda doing on the Today Show? When did this happen and who allowed it to occur? Someone was obviously asleep when this happened. Where's Katie Couric when you need her?

Anyway, this 4th hour lasted about 10 minutes for me. This was horrible. Kathie Lee and this human named Hoda were so busy trying to talk over each other that I could barely understand what either were saying. Hoda apparently went and saw Michael Buble over the weekend. I'm not sure what Kathie Lee did because her voice sent me into seizures. To make matters worse, this woman named Hoda decided to play her IPod in some pig and chose a Kathie Lee song to demonstrate how the IPig worked. At this point my ears began bleeding and I turned off the TV and came to work as quickly as possible.

Maybe the final 50 minutes of the 4th hour of the Today Show goes smoothly. The first 10 minutes that I saw was an absolute train wreck. I can't imagine real people are actually watching this on a daily basis. I can't say it's horrible because I didn't really give it a chance. But, honestly, I don't see any possible way that it could be good. But I'll never know because I'm never watching the 4th hour of the Today Show again.

The Great Pitt Debacle

2008-12-05T08:29:00.002-05:00

It's taken me a week to prepare statements about the recent WVU / Pitt matchup at Heinz Field. Well, and I'm still not quite prepared to discuss it I guess. With a Big East title possibly still in play, the Mountaineers folded and rolled over for the Panthers. A repeat of the 2007 matchup comes to mind. Identical plays and identical disappointment.

There is something wrong with the 2008 Mountaineer football team. It has been obvious since the first game of the season against Villanova. Losing to ECU and only scoring 3-points showed that there was something seriously wrong with the offense. In 2007, WVU scored over 35 points against 8 opponents. This year they've accomplished that feat once against Villanova. In a year where Bill Stewart promised an expansion of the playbook, we've watched the play calling contract faster than the economy. Pat White threw 5 touchdowns against Villanova but that hardly makes him a passing quarterback.

Anyway, back to the Pitt game. The 2 interceptions that White threw were killers. Both were very poor decisions. But I go back to the playcalling. Pat White had a 54-yard touchdown run and ran the ball 12 times but it felt like he was stifled by his unwillingness to tuck the ball towards the end of the game. Noel Devine was ineffective because he wouldn't run north/south but instead wanted to cut back across the field on every play. The defense played well but the offense was inept.

Bill Stewart has the greatest quarterback running threat in the nation in the backfield and has misused him all season long. This doesn't bode well for 2009 when Pat White is long gone. If we can't win with Patrick White, what can we do without him? Some things need to change, and in a hurry. 2008 has been a wasted year. The question now is how many more years must we watch the same?

Harry Reid is an Idiot

2008-12-02T11:32:00.002-05:00

The Capitol Visitor's Center reopened this morning and Harry Reid is happy that he won't have to smell the visitors anymore. "My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

Harry Reid is absolutely the worst type of person. He doesn't represent the people and believes he is superior to the "common folk" who, obviously, stink to him. Does he not realize that those smelly tourists are the people for which he works? Those smelly tourists pay the tax dollars that pay his salary.

Harry Reid is an idiot from way back though. Reid has repeatedly shown his hypocrisy by blasting Republicans during the Jack Abramoff scandal while accepting money from those Abramoff represented. His land deals have long been under scrunity and his misappropriation of campaign funds have snuck under the radar thanks to his position as Senate Majority Leader. Of course, those stinky people in Nevada keep re-electing him...what a shame that is.

The Bailout's Cost in Perspective

2008-11-26T09:51:00.002-05:00

Rush Limbaugh's site has a great piece putting the cost of the bailout against other great government expenditures over the years. It's definitely worth a look.

The point of the article is that today's bailout has been calculated only up to $4.6 trillion and has already cost more than all of the following government expenditures combined: The Marshall Plan. The Louisiana Purchase. The race to the moon. The S&L crisis. The Korean War. The New Deal. The invasion of Iraq. The Vietnam War. And NASA.

The new debt the government is taking on is eventually going to be crushing. We don't even have the funds to pay interest on the debt. The Russians are predicting a breakup of the union. The Chinese keep buying the debt to hold as leverage. Obama better be the miracle worker because things can't continue to spiral the way they are now. Everyone running to Washington with their hands out and there's not money to go around. Businesses need to go under and it will be a rough go. But by continuing to try to save everyone, the government is going to extend the pain for generations to come. Do you really trust the government to save the economy? I wouldn't...only free enterprise can right this ship.

Goodbye Fiscal Responsibility

2008-11-25T12:12:00.002-05:00

Seven hundred billion dollars here, five hundred billion dollars there...what makes the difference? It's all just numbers, right? Well, sure...until someone has to pay for all those numbers.

The Obama economic team has already pledged to pick up where the Bush economic team left off and continue to throw more and more federal money at the current financial crisis. Obama today spoke of an economic rescue in the $500 billion range. Of course, this bailout would be offset by his promise "to scour our federal budget, line-by-line, and make meaningful cuts and sacrifices as well." Where do you think those cuts will be? Entitlement programs? Ha! More like national security cuts...right? Sure.

Nancy Pelosi said Bush should agree to a stimulus plan to "provide a down payment on new job-creating infrastructure investments, help states avoid deep cuts to health care and other essential services, and provide nutrition assistance to struggling families." So with Obama promising to make meaningful cuts, Pelosi is wanting to fund state programs that are in danger and create new federal assistance programs with "stimulus" money.

One of my favorite aspects of the Obama plan is the creation of jobs. Obama has embraced calls for a "green jobs" program that invests as much as $100 billion in projects to slash harmful emissions. This could include projects such as retrofitting buildings to make them more energy-efficient, upgrading the electrical grid and improving mass transit. Sure, the cut of emissions is far more important than maintaining the current transportation infrastructure, like bridges and roads.

This all sounds pretty troubling to me. Only time will tell but I don't look for an economic turnaround any time soon with this type of plan in place.

Random Nonsense

2008-11-24T10:48:00.003-05:00

Before John Veasey can say it, I paid $1.69 per gallon for gas in Lexington. It was kinda cool to fill up the vehicle for like $20.00. I don't anticipate it lasting too long.
ESPN radio is difficult to find when you want it. I just wanted to hear the OU / TTU game coming back from Louisville. I found an ESPN station out of Chicago but they weren't airing the game but at least they gave updates. After hearing a few updates, I was glad I couldn't find the game.
Notre Dame is horrible. I can't believe they won't fire Jabba the Weis this season. They lost to Syracuse. And yet bowls are still going to be fighting it out to take them with their bowl eligible 6-6 record. It's really sad.
For all Mountaineer fans: Michigan's season is over. It's time to move on from the Rich Rodriguez hatred. One full year is enough time to hold the grudge. They went 3-9 and suffered a lot. He'll probably turn it around within 2 more years and start winning and everyone should just ignore it. Instead, focus on the 7-3 WVU team that started the season #8 but blew games to Colorado and Cincinnati and barely beat some other teams that we should have stomped.
The United States government continues to throw money at the current economic downturn. Let's see, the government throws money to fix education...not so good. The government throws money to fix the poor...not so good. The government throws money at health care...not so good. Do you see a trend? How could this bailout go wrong when it's run by these geniuses?

I think that's about it for the moment. I'm sure there's more but I gotta get back to work...there's a government relying on my tax dollars.

To Louisville and Back

2008-11-23T11:31:00.003-05:00

Good ol' Louisville. Last time I was there in 2006, it was a night game and Louisville was on their way to winning the Big East and the Orange Bowl. Two years later, they are barely hanging onto hopes for 6-6 and would be happy to make any bowl. Two years ago, fans flocked to and filled Papa Johns Stadium in an impressive blackout. Now, they were lucky to have over half the fans show up by kickoff and those fans left by 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Here's my Louisville story for 2008:

Left for Louisville on Friday afternoon and it's a pretty long haul really. Following the speed limits, which I tend to do, led to about 6-hours on the road. The GPS took us right to the hotel which was thankfully placed less than a half-mile from Papa Johns Stadium. After getting checked in, we tracked down a local Wal-Mart to get a few things and decided to grab some dinner. Since it was after midnight, the pickings were slim. Unfortunately there was a White Castle nearby and how do you pass that up? Seriously, I wish I knew how because White Castle is disgusting. Took it back to the hotel and ate 2 sliders...by the time I took a bite of the third, I was sure I was going to throw up. That was the end of dinner.

The night went by pretty quick and headed over to the stadium about 10:30. Since the hotel was close, they said we could leave the vehicle there and walk. It wasn't too bad but it was cold out. I'd say around 22-degrees at 10:30, so it was brisk walk. There were very few tailgaters out and about on this particular Saturday morning. And those few that dared to tailgate for Louisville were somewhat questionable. From one bonfire we could hear great tailgating music, such as "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis. Not usually considered a tailgating song...but, hey, whatever gets a Louisville fan fired up.

Since there was an hour to kill before kickoff, we decided to take a brief sojourn around Papa Johns Stadium to look for other activities that had to exist. Other than an old, retired train that was turned into a sports bar and two blow-up games, there was nothing. We attempted to enter the Trager Center, only to be rebuffed by security. A similar fate befell us at the Johnny Unitas Football Museum. We did enter the upper area of the Johnny Unitas area and viewed the warmup facilities before being asked to vacate the premises. Apparently only recruits were allowed in the Johnny Unitas complex and the West Virginia apparel didn't quite mesh with the recruiting requirements.

Since it appeared we had exhausted all pre-game activities at Papa Johns Stadium (NOTE: none), we decided to venture into the stadium. Imagine the surprise when we saw that they sell Papa Johns pizza. We arrived to our seats just in time to watch a little scuffle between Louisville players and WVU players on the Louisville Cardinal at midfield. Apparently Louisville players don't take too kindly to people stomping on the cardinal. According to post-game scuttle, no team has (or had) ever beaten Louisville after taking out any agression on the cardinal. Despite having his face stomped by the Mountaineer football team, the Louisville mascot still went to the fifty and got his groove on.

Since it was Louisville's final home game, they introduced the seniors and the Louisville band performed their pre-game show. I'm not saying it was bad...but they're definitely no "Pride of West Virginia." Louisville entered to a few fireworks and stuff and was applauded heartily by the half-full stadium. Fans eventually showed up but it never approached full. To fire up the Mountaineer fans, none other than the governor was on hand. Somehow watching Joe Manchin attempt to lead the Mountaineers onto the field had the opposite effect on me. Regardless, he was there and Bill Stewart was there too.

The first half went by relatively quickly. We made friends with the ladies sitting in front of us. One got to meet Pat White's father before kickoff and was thrilled. She was also on TV...she received multiple phone calls informing her of this. It was her first football game of the season and it appeared she was enjoying it. The only true excitement of the first half was when WVU was stuffed on third and fourth down at the one. It appeared to me they scored on third down and they were short on fourth...but I was on the opposite side and had to rely on replay, just like the officials. Let me get this out of the way now: Louisville's scoreboard is superior to WVU's. So, we head into the lockerroom with a 7-7 tie and a lot of disgruntled Mountaineer fans.

Let me take this halftime to say that Louisville's PA people love rap music. Young Nitt, Code Red and B Simms, among others. I could go the rest of my life without hearing "Clic Clac, here come the red and black." Don't believe me, check it out for yourself. Clic clac, here come the red and black...clic clac, here come the red and black, repeat ad nauseum. Trust me, the Cardinals repeat this song nonstop throughout every break. R U READY???

Second half goes much better than the first. After a nice scoring drive and a couple turnovers by Louisville, it becomes obvious that WVU probably has the game well in hand. Bill Stewart tries his best to keep Louisville in the game with as many odd calls as possible but Pat White is determined to win and Hunter Cantwell can't seem to get the ball over the defensive line. By the end of the third quarter, the Cardinal fans have given up and leave Papa Johns Stadium and head back to listen to more Randy Travis. Not sure if they're leaving the game because they're losing or because they can't handle anymore B Simms.

At this point, my entertainment is coming from the group sitting in front of us, which includes Newman from Seinfeld:

And this guy who does enjoy Young Nitt and the crew:

35-21, the game drew to a close. The Louisville fans were cordial as we made our way back to the Ramada to retrieve the vehicle. Traffic patterns to depart the stadium area were poor and we sat in traffic for a brief time. Listening to local coverage of the game, fans were more upset with Kragthorpe than with Louisville's play. The commentators and fans agreed that it was a shame that Louisville didn't play with more intensity considering WVU stomped the cardinal. They also agreed that Pat White is classless with his taunting. And there was plenty of taunting going on. They're happy to see him move on. I'm not.

All in all, a successful venture down into the heart of Kentucky. A win is a win...still not sure about some of the coaching decision but you can't argue against a victory. Unfortunately Pittsburgh couldn't do anything with Cincinnati last night so it appears Cincy is probably going to win the Big East and get the BCS bowl. WVU will probably end up in the Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. I'm just debating on whether I'm going to end up there as well. That pretty much covers the trip...it was fun and, if Coach Stewart doesn't drive us into the ground before, I may go back in 2010.

Down, down, down

2008-11-20T10:21:00.002-05:00

The stock market has fallen to a 5-year low and everyone is tightening their belts, just as I predicted. This has led to a major contraction of available money in the system for businesses and consumers. Credit is shrinking and the economy is joining in the contraction. As a result, deflation has taken hold. Wholesale consumer prices fell for the first time since 1982 and the contraction could continue into next year.

Only now, 2-3 months after the Fed should have seen the risks of deflation, do they acknowledge that deflation should be a concern. The obvious risks of deflation could have been anticipated months ago despite the passing of the government bailout. I'm not sure why Bernake and company didn't begin to develop a plan to stave off deflationary pressures at that point. It may be too late to stop deflation at this point.

Deflation tends to feed upon itself. A credit provider does not want to give a consumer credit for a product that is going to be worth less a month from now than it is now. And a consumer doesn't want to buy a product that is going to be less a month from now than it is now. Therefore, consumers stop spending and credit begins to dry up. As credit dries up and consumers stop spending, the economy continues to contract. And a contracting economy leads to increased deflation.

The next two months will set the trend. If the Fed doesn't immediately cut interest rates again and start spending the bailout money and encourage additional lending, deflation will take hold and it will be a long 2009. January 20, 2009 is too far away. The matters are pressing now and won't wait that long. If Congress and the Fed sit on the sideline much longer, the damage will be irreversible. And long lasting.

The Great American Bailout

2008-11-17T09:17:00.002-05:00

As General Motors sits back and waits for the government to bail them out from years and years of mismanagement, I'm wondering what it must be like for other companies around the country that have worked hard and effectively managed to maintain profitability, even during difficult times. Companies that are going under are being aided by the federal government and are being given extraordinary breaks while successful companies have been guaranteed additional taxes and fees by the incoming administration.

Where's the incentive to be successful in today's business climate? A successful company is still having problems securing loans and the government won't encourage additional investment in companies that aren't billions upon billions of dollars in debt. And why should a company continue to excel when the government has promised to steal more of its money? It's really a remarkable series of events to watch unfold. Fidel Castro must be proud.

The Perfect Storm

2008-11-14T08:58:00.002-05:00

I wasn't feeling well at all yesterday and ended up staying home taking a very rare sick day. Over the course of that day off, I watched a program called "Black Blizzard," which recounted the days of the Dust Bowl in the prairie lands of America during the 1930's. Since the pain of the Dust Bowl occurred in the middle of the Great Depression, the farmers of the Great Plains were largely ignored as the country instead focused on the economic woes it faced.

Two things struck me about the Dust Bowl. The first was that environmentalists don't give our planet nearly the credit it deserves. Farmers in the midwest had long abused the earth and the earth took it's revenge and fixed the problem. We live on a very resilient planet. The second was that the Dust Bowl occurred at perhaps the worst possible time for America. Had the earth struck it's revenge a decade earlier, the burgeoning American economy could have helped these poor farmers. Perhaps later, say in the middle of WWII would have been just as devastating but there would have been more efforts to save these people stuck in the middle of a natural disaster.

Despite the pain and suffering for nearly a decade, the Dust Bowl eventually subsided and the American farmer learned from the mistakes it had made previous to 1930 and has never experienced a problem on a similar scale since. Much the same can be said about the economy in a broad sense. While faltering at times, the United States has secured that the economy would not collapse since these dark days of the 1930s. That is until now.

Perhaps the perfect storm is brewing around the United States again. A collapse in the housing market, a serious contraction of available dollars, a crushing debt and a diminishing job sector are swirling around the United States. And with an incoming president promising additional regulation and increased taxes, you wonder whether the storm will claim more victims. Only time will tell how history will look at this time in the United States. I hope the new president can find a way to fix this broken system. FDR is given credit for fixing the Dust Bowl but it truly wasn't fixed until the rains returned. I just don't have faith that Obama can make it rain.

The Gosh Darn Mountaineers

2008-11-10T08:46:00.002-05:00

West Virginia certainly showd their offensive skills...in the last 71-seconds of a game that was as important as any they have played this season. The total lack of offense for the first 58 minutes was totally inexcusable. Every play was predictable and, once again, the offense relied solely on the ability of Pat White to make plays. Unfortunately for WVU, White made as many poor decisions as good ones in a game that could cost WVU a shot at another Big East title. Just a few observations, that are obvious:

The special teams at West Virginia is ridiculous. The opening kickoff lost the Mountaineers the game. We are 9 games into the season and the kickoff coverage has not improved one iota. No team in their right mind would ever kneel a ball in the endzone against this team. And McAfee's leg can't get it through the endzone any longer. We're getting close to the point where it might be better just to kick out of bounds and give them the ball at the 40 considering:
The defense is playing amazing. The big question at the beginning of the season was whether the offense would be able to score enough points to overcome the poor defense. Well, guess what, it's the other way around. No matter how well the defense plays, it can't overcome the ineptitude of the offense. The defense gave up 260 total yards but were killed by a special teams touchdown and two offensive turnovers.
We're 9 games into the season and WVU still cannot figure out a way to pick up yards in short yardage situations. Third-and-one? Might as well just punt and get it over with. And despite numerous failures, the coaches continue to call the same plays to try to pick up the yard. Here's an idea: try something else. Play-action pass? Bootleg? Try something else.
The crowd booed again. They are booing the coaches, not the players. And I don't blame them. Fans say Don Nehlen was predictable. Well, guess what, Dandy Don might as well be back. There is no creativity on offense at all. At least Cincinnati tried a few different things.
For some reason the crowd cheered the decision of the Mountaineer Marching Band to play Brooks & Dunn's "Boot Scootin' Boogie". Oh, the humanity. And why is it that people like "Cotton Eye Joe"? It's horrible.

A week off and then it's down to Louisville. I think I'll go down and see the Cardinals live and in person on the 22nd. Should be an easy win...but when you don't score any points, nothing is easy. With a loss in conference play, there's nothing for this team to lose now so they should come out and play looser. This is the most uptight team ever. And will eventually go down with the 1998 team as most underachieving if things don't change in a hurry. A big hurry.

Anthrax Scare at Michigan

2008-11-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

Michigan football practice was delayed nearly two hours late this morning after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach Rich Rodriguez immediately suspended practice while police and federal agents were called to investigate. After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance, unknown to the players, was the goal line. Practice was resumed this afternoon after special agents decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.

A New President

2008-11-05T09:17:00.002-05:00

This morning we wake up after having democratically elected the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. In a campaign that seems to have been dragging on forever, it was a relief for this showdown to finally be over. And while I don't necessarily like the choice that was made, it was a choice by the American voters. Now we must move on. But, first, just a few observations:

This wasn't the complete landslide that had been predicted. Considering the internal strife in the Republican party, Democrats should have rolled over the GOP nationwide. Instead, Obama wins the national vote by 6-points and Democrats will fall short of the 60-seats they wished for in the Senate.
There is a major divide between "rural" areas and "urban" areas in the same state. Look at the country breakdown of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc., and you will see that a majority of the state goes red but the few urban counties, which obviously hold more people, go blue. Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland flipped Ohio. Richmond, Arlington and Norfolk flipped Virginia. It's amazing to look at the state maps and see how red they are by land mass but blue by population.
How can Obama possibly meet the lofty expectations that are on his shoulders? He is expected to unite the country and the world. World leaders from every sector of this planet are looking towards him to end strife. It is not possible. So, will his agenda or his popularity decide his future actions?
Despite the full court press applied to Shelly Capito in District 2, she easily defeated her opponent. You have to think Capito could provide quite a race for the Senate when Byrd if no longer available to run.

There's a lot more I could say about this election but I'm sure it will be hashed over for months and I'll leave it to those people. My closing words on it are that I hope Obama does unite the country and succeeds in opening the American dream to everyone. That doesn't mean the distribution of wealth or more government assistance, that means removing the shackles of a government that punishes success and entrepreneurship. If Obama wants this country to prosper, he will encourage others to follow his lead and work hard and prosper and not wait for someone else to show you the way. His rhetoric doesn't show he will do this...but there's always the audacity of hope.

North Marion Wins!!

2008-11-01T08:54:00.002-04:00

I predicted it on Thursday and the long nightmare of North Marion has finally drawn to a close as they defeat the Elkins Tigers 36-35. Some people thought I might have been making fun of North Marion's misery but that is not the case at all. This is a high school that had been known for producing good football teams. They had won a state championship in football as recently as 1997. And to see them in the midst of a 28-game losing streak was somewhat painful.

The victory gives Coach Garry White his 99th career win. And maybe it elevates the program back to where it once stood, as kings of Marion County football. Of course, that may be a stretch. It was one win. Over Elkins. But it's a start and everyone must start somewhere. Their next game is against, cough, Bridgeport...so it's kinda unlikely they'll get a winning streak going this year. But at least they reset the losing streak counter back to zero for this week. Congratulations Huskies. Good win.

Football Predictions

2008-10-30T10:28:00.003-04:00

Since there's nothing important going on, like presidential elections, I will give my predictions for this week's football contests:

Morgantown 28 - University 27 - Isn't that just the way it goes? Would be a game I would like to attend...but I don't think I'm going to.

North Marion 17 - Elkins 13 - Yep. I'm finally going to give North Marion a win and end the 28 game losing streak. Gary White can finally have his 100th victory. This is it, folks. North Marion's nightmare finally ends.

Florida 38 - Georgia 28 - Tim Tebow is just that good. Florida woke up after their loss and I'm not sure they'll lose again.

Fairmont Senior 35 - Bridgeport 27 - If I attend a football game Friday, this is the most likely. I just think West is probably better than Bridgeport...that's all.

East Fairmont 20 - Parkersburg South 17 - East must win to stay in the playoff hunt. They'll pull this one off in an upset to setup a huge East/West game. At least that's what I'm hoping for.

WVU 45 - UConn 20 - If WVU has truly found their stride, they'll whip up on the Huskies. The Auburn win was pretty but this game counts for a whole lot more since it is in-conference and on the road. A must-win for Stewart's boys.

Obama's Infomercial

2008-10-29T16:40:00.001-04:00

At 8:00 p.m. tonight you'll likely not be able to avoid the infomercial being aired by the Obama campaign. Barack and his excess of campaign money have bought 30 minutes of airtime on CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision, MSNBC (his official campaign channel), BET and TV One. Obama is going to use the 30 minutes to have "average" Americans air their problems and Obama's plans to help.

With the election just 6 days away, this may seal the deal for Obama. Or it could backfire and tick off would-be voters by forcing them to miss their scheduled program for a political commercial. Personally, I'm wondering if this is just a sample of things to come. Will Obama use the Oval Office as his own personal platform to air to the American public his socialist agenda? Obama has already stated his favorable opinions for the redistribution of wealth by using a liberal judicial system that will favor the "downtrodden." He has stated himself that the courts have failed in establishing "redistributive change." The Warren court, he said, failed to "break free from the essential constraints" in the U.S. Constitution and launch a major redistribution of wealth. Be sure to read that entire link...that's scary stuff. This guy is going to appoint Supreme Court justices that will favor the redistribution of wealth.

Equally scary, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D. Toledo) whipped the crowd up before Mr. Obama took the stage yesterday telling them that America needed a Second Bill of Rights guaranteeing all Americans a job, health care, homes, an education, and a fair playing field for business and farmers.

Perhaps Obama can create his new bill of rights using this language:

Article 40. Citizens have the right to work (that is, to guaranteed employment and pay in accordance wit the quantity and quality of their work, and not below the state-established minimum), including the right to choose their trade or profession, type of job and work in accordance with their inclinations, abilities, training and education, with due account of the needs of society...
Article 41. Citizens have the right to rest and leisure...
The length of collective farmers' working and leisure time is established by their collective farms. Article 42. Citizens have the right to health protection.

Of course, if that's his new Bill of Rights, he should give credit the original writers who wrote the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Scary stuff, indeed.

It's Over?

2008-10-28T10:01:00.002-04:00

Read the paper, watch the news, surf the Internet and you would assume the election was yesterday and Barack Obama is the new President of the United States. It's actually been that way for the past 6 months. Since Hilary fell into decline, the media has pushed relentlessly for the election of Obama.

I'm not going to sit here and whine about the harsh treatment of John McCain or Sarah Palin. Fact is that the media should be digging into Palin's past and her influence as governor. McCain's past mistakes are fair game, like his dealings in the Keating 5 scandal. Cindy McCain's past drug addiction was fair game. Why, then, has the media systematically refused to dig deeper into Obama's past? Where are the interviews with past friends about Obama's history? Why are there pieces missing from his biography? Where is the in-depth study about Obama's past drug interactions?

Perhaps even an in-depth study of Obama's past wouldn't change the outcome of the election but at least it would give the semblance of fair reporting and the electorate would have some greater understanding of the man they are about to elect as president. Only now are we beginning to hear a little about Obama's past comments, like his call for the redistribution of wealth. These are things that should have been investigated months ago. The press has failed the American public. Hopefully the incoming president doesn't do the same.

The Wide Open Big East

2008-10-25T21:11:00.002-04:00

Rutgers beats Pittsburgh and Louisville defeats South Florida. Welcome to the Big East where West Virginia now leads by default. Obviously the bulk of WVU's Big East schedule lies ahead but the Mountaineers now have the inside track to another Big East title and BCS bowl. No team other that WVU is undefeated in conference play and South Florida, the conference favorite since WVU's fall from grace, already has two losses. There's little doubt now that most will see WVU as the conference favorite following their win over Auburn. It will be interesting to see how Stewart and the gang handle the pressure.

On the other end of the spectrum is a team that will not make a bowl game this year and that is Michigan. Following the win over the then #9 Wisconsin Badgers, the wheels fell off for Michigan. The embarrassing loss to Toledo followed by the shellacking by Penn State and Michigan State all but ended Michigan's 33-year post season appearance streak. Obviously Rodriguez doesn't have the players to run his offense but you have to wonder what happened to Michigan. The defense should have been good enough to at least remain competitive. This team is done. It looks very likely that Rodriguez won't even be able to match the 3-wins he had in his first season at WVU.

Turning the Corner?

2008-10-24T08:26:00.003-04:00

Say what you will about Auburn's disappointing season but you can't help but feel a little optimism following WVU's second half shellacking of the Tigers. I expected the Tigers to be as quick as WVU to the corner but it appeared WVU had far more speed. WVU put up 445 yards and 34 points against a tough SEC defense. And Auburn only lost to LSU by 5 points.

After some early sputters, the WVU offense found a groove with the running game and decimated the Auburn defensive line. On the other side of the ball, the WVU defense tightened up after 17 first half points and held the Tigers scoreless in the second half. Auburn's offensive woes were known before the game but no one expected the Mountaineer defense to give up a mere 260 yards.

Auburn came out with a good gameplan, which was to run the ball and chew up as much clock as possible to keep Pat White off the field and the WVU offense sputtering. But too many 3rd and longs killed that strategy by late second quarter and the Tigers were on the rope. Noel Devine found his stride and the rest, as they say, is history. A great win for the Mountaineers.

So, where does it go from here? The loss probably sealed Tuberville's fate at Auburn. I would be very surprised if he comes back for this 11th year. More interesting is what WVU can do from here. Sitting at 5-2 with 5 games remaining, this WVU team looks like a legitimate contender for another Big East crown. The offensive line finally played like a cohesive unit and the defense remained stout against a tough competitor. If WVU continues to play with the urgency and emotion they showed Thursday night, there's not a better team in the Big East. With South Florida playing in Morgantown and Pittsburgh always being de facto home game, there's not much in the way.

I'm not going to go overboard yet. Five games remain. None are easy but there are three that should be in the win column. The other two are substantial tests. Another 10-2 season is not out of the question and, if WVU can do that, another shot at a big time game. If we can bring the team that played the second half last night, that's a game I would look forward to.

Moment of Truth?

2008-10-22T08:36:00.002-04:00

Sure, West Virginia could lose to Auburn and still win the Big East, go to a BCS bowl and finish ranked. Sure, WVU could lose to Auburn and Bill Stewart could still navigate the waters through Pittsburgh and South Florida. Sure, the Mountaineers could lose to Auburn and fans would forget by the end of the season if things turn around. But there's still a growing sentiment that if WVU loses this game to Auburn the season could be lost. Fair or not, Auburn is a moment of truth for this Mountaineer team and for head coach Bill Stewart.

At the beginning of the season, this game between WVU and Auburn was supposed to be a battle between the team expected to the win the Big East and the team fighting for an SEC championship. But WVU blew two games early and, beginning with a 3-2 victory over Mississippi State, the wheels fell off the Auburn offense. Since that narrow victory, Auburn has lost 3 of 4 and fired their offensive coordinator. WVU can't score, posting more than 30 points only against FCS Villanova. Auburn can't score, posting more than 30 points only against FCS Louisiana-Monroe.

Auburn is only averaging 292.6 yards per game compared to WVU's 347.0. But WVU hasn't played LSU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt (who is decent) and Arkansas. So to say that WVU holds a distinct offensive advantage is disingenuous. On paper, this appears to be a defensive struggle but it definitely shouldn't be. WVU should have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. And Auburn's offense should be fine. The fact that neither has shown any life at all is a real puzzle.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I do know that many more Mountaineer fans will be calling for Bill Stewart's head if the Mountaineers lose to the underachieving Auburn Tigers. It's a sad state of affairs for both teams tomorrow night. Both expected to achieve great things. Both failing miserably.